Veracity
by DontHaveAcreativeName
Summary: When it is revealed that Lucas and Nathan are not linked by Dan, they are finally free to grow much closer... LucasNathan Slash.
1. Revealing

NEW AUTHORS NOTE 10/2/07!

I just wanted to assure all of my readers that this story has not been forgotten! THe last two months have been far more busy than I anticipated and I haven't had any time for writing. I MAY get a bit done this weekend but ti's no promise.

There are only two short chapters left my friends, I have it all planned out. Well, I am planning on two chapters, it may turn into more as I write, but Lathan's fate is decided . In regards to a sequel--Still a maybe. What I might do is write random one-shot stories about Lucas and Nathan's life post-Veracity. We shall see.

One final note...only two reviews for the latest chapter? Where did my regulars go? I wouldn't mind except that I REALLY liked this chapter and want you feedback! It's okay though, I see your hitcount! I know you're all there! Thanks for sticking with me!

Disclaimer: One Tree Hill is owned by CW and Tollins and I make no money from this.

A/N: Naley never existed…

Senior year at high school had been a roller coaster for Lucas. Before the holidays, an old friend of Karen's came through town. She introduced him to Lucas as Eric Divoli, or else some Italian sounding name, Lucas couldn't remember. Eric and Karen spent hours reliving their blissful youth, revealing how much their relationship mirrored Lucas and Haley's. All was well until the night before Eric's departure, when he revealed the true reason he returned to Tree Hill: he had a major confession to make.

Karen and Dan's relationship was much like Nathan and Peyton's had been: "A series of one-night stands strung together," as Brooke so blatantly described it. They were constantly fighting, breaking up, and getting back together. Eric nervously reminded Karen of one occasion on which she showed up at his doorstep at about two in the morning, completely intoxicated, having just engaged in yet another epic battle with Dan. He let her in and grabbed himself a few beers, catching up with her state of inebriation. When Karen woke the following morning, Eric was gone, out shopping. After he returned, they ate breakfast and Karen left to make amends, yet again, with her on-again off-again boyfriend.

"Yes…I remember that night," Karen said with a glazed look in her eye as she remembered her exuberant and even wild past. "I woke up your neighbors when I knocked over the trash cans," the mother mused, before throwing a glance at Lucas, "But if I ever catch _you_ drinking…" She finished with a stare. "Oh, but you were saying Eric…what about that night?" Eric avoided eye contact with either Karen or Lucas. He took a deep breath and fiddled with the zipper on his jacket before taking one final breath and rushing out a nearly unintelligible sentence.

"I' ws bou' nin' mo' afore 'cas orn." Karen and Lucas stared at him puzzled.

"…It was about nine months before Lucas was born." He stated, finally looking into the eyes of the woman in front of him. Karen and Lucas sat agape as the significance of this statement, and its implications set in.

Although it wasn't clear why Eric hadn't revealed the true events of that night to Karen at some point during the last seventeen years, rather expensive DNA tests eventually proved that Lucas "Scott" was indeed the son of one Eric Di…something: Lucas still didn't know his father's last name. While Lucas was understandably angry that Eric had waited seventeen years for this, he felt as though a massive weight was lifted from his shoulders: he was no longer tied to Dan Scott.

Lucas's life changed for the better, and he was notably happier. But the most significant change was in his relationship with her former "brother," Nathan. They had managed to move from mutual enmity to rocky friendship, but with their link to Dan gone, it was as if the two were finally free to be friends. They began to hang out more, whether it be playing casual hoops at the river court or playing NBA Live at Nathan's apartment. For Lucas, everything was finally falling into place…

Lucas sat on his bed, typing furiously away on his laptop. Being an aspiring writer, the blonde had begun to write short stories, and he was in the middle of a moment of sheer creative genius. That state of mind was instantly ended when a knock sounded on his door. Nathan let himself in without waiting for a response.

"Hey Luke, me and Skillz were heading down to the River Court…" The brunette began.

"Skillz and I," Lucas corrected. Nathan shook his head and bounced his basketball off the top of Lucas's own cranium.

"Whatever," The younger man stated. "Are you coming with us?"

"Sure," The older replied. "Just a second, let me finish something," Lucas stated, tying off a loose thought on his computer.

"What're you working on?" Nathan asked, moving around Lucas's bed to have a look. The blonde slammed the computer shut; mortified that anyone should see his writing (A fear he always had, one that he would probably need to get over if he was going to be an author…).

"Nothing," Lucas began, "It's nothing. Some paper for school," He lied unconvincingly. "Ok, I'm good. Let's go." The two boys left through Lucas's door, after he had informed his mother as to his plans.

Lucas wasn't sure what it was, but ever since he found out that he and Nathan were not actually linked, it was as if they were so much closer. They even bickered like an old married couple as Peyton informed Lucas. With every good, the universe must throw in an challenge, however. His successful friendship with the only Scott son forced Lucas to reflect on why they had been enemies. Dan of course was the primary cause, and Nathan's asshole personality of the time, but it was more than that: Lucas had always felt strongly towards Nathan, an emotion that he had convinced himself was hate. But now that they were on the fast track to best friendship, he tried to tell himself that it was just his passion for friends. Lucas just kept pushing it to the back of his mind, but this emotion grew stronger with each passing day, and it became more difficult to repress. On some level, Lucas knew what was going on, but he was not ready to accept it. So he would just try to push while he could, and wear a dazzling smile that threw everybody off. He knew that eventually, this would have to be confronted, but it could wait just one more day…


	2. The Mask

Nathan ventured to a restaurant where he had picked up a temporary job as a waiter. While he wasn't a fan of working multiple jobs (for he was also employed at the mall), he was in dire need of money. Supporting himself, and paying for his apartment, food, bills, and all such things required a massive cash flow, or at least one that's massive to a teenager. A few weeks ago he had been pushed to borrowing from a loan shark who called himself 'Dante.' Every instinct in Nathan screamed that this could only end badly, but getting evicted from his apartment was not exactly good either. Now the star basketball player was trying to pay back Dante, support himself, and save some cash to get Lucas a worthy birthday present. If he was honest, his once-brother's birthday was the real incentive for the job.

The revelation that he and Lucas were not brothers had changed everything. It was as if they were now free from whatever invisible forces were preventing their friendship from taking off. There were no obligations of hate from an ill minded father, and no obligations of compassion from a familial bond: they were able to be friends because they wanted to, and this meant a world of difference.

When Nathan arrived at his apartment that night, he found Luke sitting on his couch, completely engorged in the basketball game on Nathan's massive television (a necessary commodity that an unnecessarily large amount of money was wasted on). The Charlotte Bobcats, Luke's all time favorite team, was currently dominating the court. Nathan didn't inquire as to the reason Luke should stray to his humble abode: over the past few weeks, the blonde has been spending an increasing amount of time at the apartment. With Karen working all the time, and no girl hanging off his arm, he was able to find refuge and entertainment with Nathan, when Nathan wasn't off working.

"Dude," Nate began, "don't you ever go home?" Luke looked up.

"Do you want me to leave?" he asked, slightly self-conscious, afraid that he was intruding. Nathan shook his head with a smile: for someone so very intelligent, Lucas really let things fly over his head.

"How's the game?" The brunette inquired.

"Great," Luke said looking up again, "We've almost won!" He smiled his winning smile. Lucas followed his team obsessively. Nathan really wanted to get him something special for his eighteenth birthday, and when he heard that the Bobcats were going to be playing just a few hours away, he knew he had to get tickets.

Said tickets had been purchased, and a hotel room booked. While Nate was excited to be able to do this for Luke, it also meant another chunk of debt. Each day he saw the black sedan whose tinted windows hid the sinister face of Dante and his crony; it was a silent reminder of his debt.

Back in the present, Nate sat next to Luke on the couch to watch the last few minutes of the game. After the older teen had cheered his team to victory, the two began to duke it out on the PlayStation. It was a close match, but Nate always beat his pals at NBA live.

"I'm starving man," Luke said, turning to Nate, "have you eaten dinner yet?" Nate shook his head.

"We could order a pizza," Nate began, reaching for his wallet. He opened it to find three dollars and a car wash coupon. He paused, and was about to say something when Luke, who saw what was going on, interrupted.

"You won the game, it's my treat." The blonde said, trying hard not to make it look like charity, so as to preserve Nate's dignity. After the pizza had arrived, and the boys had subsequently stuffed their faces until they feared a rupturing of their stomachs, they plopped down on the couch.

"So," Nate said, turning to the blonde, "what's your dad like? Eric, is he cool?" When Lucas didn't respond, Nate feared that he had treaded into personal territory. "You don't have to answer," he began before Lucas shifted on the couch to face him.

"I don't know. I liked Eric, we got along great, until he told us…" Lucas's eyes stared off into space as he thought. "Why would he wait?"

"Huh?" Nate asked.

"Why would he wait…seventeen years, to tell my mom? Why would he do that?"

"I don't know Luke," Nate responded, he didn't know what else to say. A sudden dark cloud passed across Luke's face, as his mind traveled to unhappy places. Something was clearly troubling him, and he fell quiet.

"Maybe there's something wrong with me," Luke said, looking down.

"What are you talking about?"

"Well, I had two different fathers, and neither wanted me…" Luke was clearly troubled, and Nate could tell this was something he had been thinking about for a long time.

"Eric came back for you Luke, he was probably just afraid." Nate had a feeling his words did little to comfort Luke, but he didn't know what to say. This was not like Luke, he was always happy, and he had gotten even happier when he learned about Eric. Luke looked up to meet Nathan's eyes.

"Yeah, I don't think that it had much to do with me, more with my mom, but you'd think that at least one in two males could make a suitable father." Luke attempted to laugh the whole thing off, and it was in this moment that Nathan realized that Luke wore a mask. His smile wasn't always a beacon of his emotions. The blonde seemed perturbed by his sudden moment of vulnerability, and got up to leave.

"I've gotta get home," he began. "Homework…"

Nathan said goodbye, wishing there was something to do, some words to say, to cheer Luke up, but he knew that right now, Luke wanted to be alone, so he watched the sullen blonde walk out of his door.


	3. It's ok to not be ok

A/N: Thanks everyone who reviewed this! I'm not sure I like this chapter, and I'm considering getting rid of it entirely; so let me know if I should keep it, or any changes I should make…

The stars shone like thousands of diamonds against the velvety sky. The river reflected the lights of the buildings that sat on its other side. It was a dazzling image that would later find its way onto Lucas's wall. The River Court was a sanctuary for Luke. He could always come here; this was his place. After leaving Nathan's apartment, said teen found himself at the court, thinking.

Maybe there is something wrong with me…Maybe there's a reason two men wanted nothing to do with me. My mom's dreams were crushed when I was conceived…But then again, it couldn't be my fault, as neither father knew me when they betrayed my mother. And to be fair, Eric did come back. Furthermore, I know that mom loves me, that I'm her world, and that she never resented my existence…

This battle waged on in Lucas's head. His mind strayed to his little lapse with Nathan. He suddenly was afraid that he has revealed too much to his friend, and that Nate would think him weak or something. Though he didn't know why, Luke felt some strange need to impress Nate, but right now, everything was getting to be too much. His confusion in regards to Nathan, the exposure of his real father, the looming grief at his loss of Keith…

Lucas always solved people's problems. He helped Haley, Nate, his mother, Skills, Peyton, Brooke, anyone who came to him with a messy life left with something slightly better, but for once, Lucas desperately wanted for someone to solve _his_ problems, to just tell _him_ everything would be ok. He wouldn't admit this though, even to himself.

The sound of an engine startled Luke, and he turned around to see Nathan climb out of his crummy chevy, a definite downgrade from the mustang he used to drive. The blonde was actually slightly disappointed to find his friend here, as he didn't want Nate to see him in such a vulnerable state.

"Hey," Nate said casually, standing next to his car.

"Hi," Lucas responded in a broken voice. It was obvious that something was wrong.

"Are you alright man?" Nathan asked. Lucas could tell that he was honestly concerned, which made this a lot worse; his mask of perpetual joy was failing him, and he was being exposed to Nathan of all people. Lucas didn't respond to his question, as they both knew that Nate was already privy to the answer.

"You know you don't have to be ok with this," Nate said, having walked over to the sitting Lucas, who looked up at him questioningly. "With Eric. It's alright to be angry or upset, or…" He stalled, "…hurt." Lucas flinched at the last word.

"I just, I, I," Lucas didn't know how to articulate what he was feeling. "It's not Eric, well, it is, but there's more than that." Nathan sat down next to him. Lucas wasn't sure why he was telling this to his former-brother, why he was letting himself be opened up, exposed, revealed.

"Luke, you don't have to tell me anything, I wouldn't push you to say anything, but you don't always have to keep it inside. You aren't alone, you know that right?" Something about Nathan's words, his tone, his intentions, finally struck past Lucas's well-weathered hide. Something clicked inside and Lucas began to spill everything out to Nathan.

"I'm a good person Nathan, I don't do anything wrong. Why would two people reject me as a son? Forget about me? Abandon me? Even wish me out of existence?" Lucas was getting choked up and was afraid that he might actually cry in front of Nathan, though at this point, he found that he really didn't care. He felt he could be open with Nathan, if just for tonight.

"I could be alright with it," the blonde continued, "until Keith…" His voice wavered. "He was the one who wanted me. He actually wanted to _adopt_ me Nathan! Do you have any idea what that meant to me? It didn't matter that Dan despised me, it didn't matter that I never had a proper father growing up because now I would. Now I would actually have a whole family, now I wouldn't be…I wouldn't be a bastard child." These words sent a surge of guilt through Nathan who had used that word to describe Luke on several occasions. "I could finally be like a normal kid Nathan, and then Keith, Keith…" This was when Luke finally broke down. He didn't know the last time he cried, and it killed him to do it in front of Nathan, but at the same time he felt there was no one he would rather open up to. Nathan sat down next to Luke and put his hand on the blonde's back, rubbing gently.

"I miss him too Luke." Nothing in Nate's voice criticized the sullen teen next to him, but rather he was soft spoken.

"But then to go through it all again," Lucas said, "finding out that I was abandoned by another person…"

"Don't go there Luke. There is _nothing_ wrong with you. Dan Scott is a heartless ass that would have given up any child, and Eric was just a coward. If you let yourself believe that _you_ are what's wrong here, then you've really got things screwed up." Lucas just looked at Nathan as he realized that the brunette was right.

The two teens sat in silence as Lucas regained his composure. Now that all of his emotions had been ventilated, he suddenly felt like a fool for breaking down in front of Nathan, and didn't speak a word as his friend drove him home. Before Lucas exited the vehicle, Nate grabbed his shoulder and told him "It's goona be alright Luke." Lucas paused, and then realized that he believed him.


	4. The Friend Desperately Needed

A/N::More thanks to everyone who reviewed! Make sure you review because if nobody reviews well, I won't write anymore. Wow, I sound kind of selfish and demandy but oh well….On with the story. Actually this chapter is really just nonsensical drabble and I'm not too crazy about it…

Nathan lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, contemplating the events of that night. At first, when Lucas had slipped up in Nate's apartment, he thought Lucas a little strange, like he was just acting "emo." But when the blonde hastily left, and Nathan was able to see just how upset he was, some strange instinct came over Nathan. He felt, for whatever reason, that he had to protect the Roe son, to shelter him. Knowing exactly where he would find Luke, he headed for his car.

When Nate approached him at the River Court, it was clear that this problem was rooted far deeper in Lucas than his friend might have thought. So Nathan just listened, allowing the blonde to pour out his heart and soul. A year ago, Nate might have laughed at him, but now, he only wanted to comfort. He could sense that Luke had been keeping this inside for far too long. When the older teen explained the significance of Keith's desire to adopt Lucas, Nathan finally understood his grief; Keith truly was Luke's father. Nate had to refrain from hitting himself when the other boy made the comment about being a "bastard child." He didn't know what was wrong in his head, to label Lucas such a terrible thing.

Rather than think less of Lucas, Nathan respected him so much more. Lucas was always piecing together other peoples' lives, and he never asked for help, though he was clearly dying for it. Lucas wanted to appear strong, collect, and just happy in general, but inside he was hurting far worse than Nathan ever had. Every cruel thing he had done to him, all the pain he had caused to who he thought was his brother, it all overwhelmed Nathan, and he was amazed that Lucas was able to get past all of it; Nate didn't know if _he_ could've been so righteous. Lucas was simply a good person, pure good, untainted by greed or malice. People like Luke were hard to come by. Now more than ever was Nathan glad that he had gotten Luke the tickets, he deserved them. He deserved a lot that he didn't have, namely a father. While Nate couldn't really help with _that_, he _could_ provide Lucas with a best friend, a shoulder to lean on, a support system. There was always Haley, but it was clear that for whatever reason, Lucas's fears had not been confided to her. Though Nate had no idea why, his friend had picked _him_ to open up to, it was _Nate_ he chose to confide in, so Nathan decided in that moment that he was going to be the best friend he could be, even if it couldn't undo the torment he had put him through.

Ô¿ô

The following day at school, Nate made his way to Lucas's locker to ask if he and Haley wanted to come watch a movie that night at his apartment. When Lucas spotted him approaching however, he quickly made off in the opposite direction. He must be ashamed or something, Nathan reasoned. He understood why. So Nate resolved to clear things up with the other teen after school, as there was no practice today.

Nathan stopped by Luke's house on his way to work. He approached the door to his room and knocked gently. After a moment, the door opened a little, revealing a disappointed looking Lucas.

"Can I come in?" Nate asked. Luke opened the door and allowed him in.

"Look, about last night," Lucas began, before Nathan cut him off.

"Don't, Luke. I'm not here about that, well sort of. See, what you said kind of made me realize some stuff." Nate explained.

"Some _things_," Lucas corrected.

"Whatever, shut up. I'm not good with words and apologies and stuff…"

"_Things._ And what exactly are you apologizing for?"

"Well…I never really realized how much shit I put you through." Nate began.

"Nate, don't worry about it," Lucas attempted to stop him.

"No Luke, the things I said to you, the things I did, the hazing…" Nate felt worse as he rehashed all that he had done. "I was a different person then, and I just wanted to say I'm sorry for putting you through so much."

"Now you're getting all sappy on me man," Luke said smiling, hitting his friend on the arm.

"How did you do it," Nate asked. "How did you get over everything I did, how can you forgive me?"

"You said it yourself Nate, you were a different person. You were all corrupted and stuff from Dan."

"Corrupted and _things_," Nate remarked with a smirk. Neither boy's sentence was gramatically correct, but Nathan got a kick out of attempting to correct Luke none the less. "And thank you."

"What for?"

"For giving me another chance." Nathan said.

"Well, you only get two, so don't mess this one up." Luke remarked laughing.

"All right, I've gotta split, I'm late for work," Nate said, standing up and walking to the door. "Do you and Haley want to come over and watch a movie tonight?" Nate asked.

"Alright," Luke responded, and Nate knew that he could do it; he could be the outlet that the blonde so desperately needed. He walked out of the door with a broad smile on his face.


	5. I don't care Really

A/N:: Thanks _again_ to everyone who reviewed. You are all my heroes. Please don't lurk! Review! Review!

Lucas and Haley wandered around the grocery store, picking out various snacks to bring to Nathan's apartment. They loaded up their cart with chips, soda, candy, popcorn, and even some bread and milk that they suspected their friend was lacking, along with cash.

"So the two of you are practically conjoined at the hip," Haley joked about Lucas and Nathan. "It's funny how you are more like brothers _now_." Lucas merely smiled in response; this was something he was well aware of.

"Ok, I think we've got enough," Lucas said, glancing down at the massive amount of junk food in their cart, "let's get out of here." On the drive to Nathan's apartment, Haley explained how it had been over a week since she had even spoken to Nate, due to their conflicting schedules.

"I saw him last Tuesday in the mall, while he was working in that pretzel shop," she remembered, "he was flirting with some bimbo." Haley laughed remembering Nathan's attempt at romance. Lucas threw her a sharp glance.

"He was flirting with some bimbo? Is he dating her? What's her name?" Even Luke was surprised by this outburst.

"What, do you have a crush on him?" Haley joked. Lucas wasn't sure why he had gotten so suspicious. He didn't care if Nathan was seeing somebody. He didn't care at all. Really.

Before long, Lucas had parked the car and the two teens were stepping through Nate's door. The brunette greeted them and took the food.

"I rented a bunch of movies," Nate said, indicating a stack of DVDs on the couch, "pick one out." Haley sat down on the couch and flipped through the choices, reading the back of each DVD in turn. Lucas turned to face Nathan.

"So I hear you have a girlfriend." He said coolly, not really sure why he was talking.

"Is that so?" Nathan said looking at him puzzled.

"Some bimbo you were flirting with at work last Tuesday," Lucas responded. He almost hit himself in the face for continuing this blabber.

"I talk to a lot of girls at work, they're called _customers_. What, do you have a crush on me?" Nate joked. Lucas looked at him alarmed, two people in one day?

"Yeah, that's it," Lucas responded in what he hoped was a sarcastic tone. "So what movies did you get?" The three eventually wound up watch the Notebook, much to Lucas and Nathan's dismay (Haley had actually brought it). Being a girl, Haley burst into tears at the end, as suspected. She was sitting in the middle of the two boys on the couch, and grabbed an arm from both, holding them to her chest, in a futile search for emotional comfort. One might think she would be used to the movie, having seen it exactly one million times. At one point, she squeezed the boys' arms and Lucas and Nathan's hands came into touch. Nathan didn't seem to notice, but Luke's heart skipped exactly one beat. Must be the HCM, he told himself before pulling away.

Eventually Nate kicked them out, explaining that he had to work early the next morning (for it was a Friday night). Lucas dropped Haley off and proceeded home.

As he lay in bed, Luke reflected over what Nathan and Haley had said. _What, do you have a crush on him? What? Do you have a crush on me?_ Lucas wasn't entirely sure why these comments bothered him so much, or why his HCM went nuts for a fraction of a second during the movie (For there really is no other explanation. Really.). He was also puzzled as to why he was so jealous of some girl Nate didn't even remember. Nate. His friend. His best friend. His metaphorical brother. The object of his affection. What was that last part? His metaphorical brother, that's it. That had to be it. There was no other explanation. Really. But even as he pondered, Luke knew it. He couldn't deny it any longer. That damn emotion, that stupid way Nathan made him feel. Nathan's stupid smile that made Luke smile. He had known it all along, but finally was forced to confront the fact that he, Lucas Roe, had feelings for Nathan Scott.

"This can't be happening." Lucas said out loud. No, it's not, he thought. I'm just tired and confused, I'm just hurting because of Brooke, and I've been spending time with Nate, so I was just confused. That's all. Really. He was still just upset over the brunette girl who had stolen his heart, and crushed it. That was all. Really. So with his mind at rest, Lucas rolled over, and in minutes, was deep into sleep.

Ô¿ô

Lucas was exiting the locker room and walked up to Nathan.

"You wanna play some NBA Live tonight?" he asked.

"Uh," Nate responded, "I have plans tonight…"

"You have plans? What're you doing?" Lucas asked. Nate looked at the blonde with an exasperated expression.

"I have plans with a girl tonight. Why do you care? Why do I always have to hang out with you? What, **_do you have a crush on me_?" **

RING 

Lucas woke with a start, the events of his dream fresh in his head. He reached over and turned the alarm off and sat up, holding his face in his hands. So maybe he was going to have to rethink that stupid emotion. But then again, it was just a dream. Really.


	6. One Week

A/N::Again, thanks everyone for the reviews, and the story will be here until gets it's act together…angry face

Nathan awoke on Lucas's eighteenth birthday with a smile on his face. After waiting for months, he could finally give his best friend the basketball tickets he had been harboring for so long. He almost gave Luke the tickets on several occasions, no longer being able to wait. He managed to hold out however. The birthday party wasn't until later that night, but Nathan decided that he had waited long enough. He dressed quickly and was out the door. He thought he might swing by Lucas's house, pick him up for school, and let him have the gift in the car.

Still smiling, Nathan was about to unlock his car when a black sedan pulled up next to it. A black sedan with tinted windows. Nathan's heart sank. He approached the driver's window, which rolled down to reveal Dante.

"Scott. I'm calling in my tabs," said the man in a serious tone.

"Dante, I don't have the money yet you know that," Nathan responded.

"Scott, I gave you that money over a month ago, you've had plenty of time," Dante reminded Nathan. "I'm not an unreasonable man, I know I sprung this on you," he continued, "I'll give you some time." Nathan sighed in relief. "You've got a week." The brunette's relief immediately turned to shock.

"How am I supposed to come up with that much money in a _week_?" He asked, panicking.

"That's not my problem kid, you've had plenty of time." Dante noticed the birthday gift in Nathan's hand, and smiled. "Today is the former Scott's birthday, isn't it?" Nathan nodded. "I've noticed that you too are pretty close now, huh? It would really be unfortunate if I didn't get that money, Scott. I'd really hate to drag the Roe child into this. He's had plenty of trouble in his life, no? It would be so unfortunate for him to have an accident," Dante said, rolling his window up. "One week," he got out before the car pulled away, leaving a distressed Nate standing alone in the parking lot.

Nathan got into his car and sat gripping the steering wheel. He pushed his forehead against the rubber and tried to breath, tried not to cry, tried to be strong, tried to be a man. But he couldn't, he couldn't do this. It would be one thing if Dante had threatened _him_, but no, Lucas was the one at stake here. Nathan could handle whatever Dante did to him, because he brought it upon himself, but if _Lucas_, the one who has been going through so much was harmed because _Nathan_ made a huge mistake, well, the Scott son wasn't sure he could handle that. He composed himself and decided that it wasn't time to panic yet; he was still Nathan _Scott_, son of _Dan Scott_, millionaire and mayor. He wouldn't have turned to his father, but now that Lucas was in trouble, he had to swallow his pride. So it was decided; Nathan would ask Dan for help the following day. Today, he would be happy for Luke, he would give him his gift and be genuinely joyous. Dan would help him.

Nathan arrived at Luke's house as the blonde was walking out. He saw Nate and made his way over to the car. The brunette rolled down the window and offered Lucas a ride. His friend smiled and hopped in the car.

"Happy birthday!" Nate said, smiling.

"Thanks," Lucas responded.

"I know your party isn't until tonight, but I can't wait to give you this any more," Nate said, handing over a small package to Lucas, who opened it to find a mix CD.

"A mix CD?" Luke smirked. "You couldn't wait to give me a mix CD?"

"Just open it," Nate responded. Luke did so, and two tickets to a Charlotte Bobcats game fell into his lap. He stared down at them, eyes widening.

"Nate," he stammered, "These, these, these are Bobcat tickets!" He exclaimed, a broad smile now gracing his face.

"Yeah, I know," Nate smiled back.

"But Nate, these are _amazing_ tickets," Lucas said, spotting their seats on the ticket, "how the hell could you afford this? I can't accept these!" Lucas said concerned.

"That's too bad, they're already paid for, we're going in a few weeks, a hotel is booked," Nate said, unable to hide a broad smile of his own. The way Lucas's eyes lit up melted his heart, and he was glad he had been able to get these tickets, even if it meant turning to Dan. Lucas sat smiling the entire ride to school, and Nathan smiled too, for simply being able to bring Lucas so much joy. Things would be alright, Nate knew it.


	7. Birthdays and Lies

Ok, is finally working again! I was unable to post these chapters. In the future, if this happens, check my lj at judicative. for updates, as I will post them there when this place is down.

Thanks for everybody who reviewed, here or there. Please please please review the stories! PLEASE, I thrive on reviews! Please!

Lucas was completely unable to pay attention to pretty much anything all day. He simply sat, smiling stupidly at anyone and everyone. If you asked him why he was so elated, he would respond that he had just received the best birthday present _ever._ While that was true, the fact that it had come from _Nathan_ was what sent Luke into this joyous state. Lucas had begun to come around to the way he felt about the Scott boy. So maybe he had some feelings for him that weren't exactly friend feelings. He still found women attractive so he wasn't necessarily gay, though he couldn't deny that there was a certain appeal to Nathan. He wasn't sure where that left him, but Nathan was Nathan, so this whole thing was kind of pointless to pursue. But that doesn't mean a kid can't dream, does it?

By the end of the day, Lucas was bouncing in his seat waiting for the bell. When the sound of sweet freedom rang, Luke literally ran to his car. He headed over to Nathan's apartment, but the brunette wasn't there yet, for he wasn't in an epic hurry for anything, as Lucas seemed to be. To be honest, the Roe son wasn't sure why he was even there, but he was still buzzing about his gift, and thought he might thank Nate again about a thousand more times.

When said teen arrived at his apartment, he found a smiling Luke sitting on his couch. "Hey birthday boy," Nathan smiled.

"Hey yourself. I can't thank you enough for these tickets Nate, you have no idea what they mean to me," Lucas said.

"Don't get all girly on me or I'll have to kick your ass," Nate replied. "I hate to ditch you, but I've got to get to work, those tickets didn't come cheap," he continued. The smile fell off of Lucas's face.

"You'll be at the party tonight right?" He asked, looking hopeful.

"Of course, now get out of here, go get ready," Nate told him. Lucas's smile returned and he got up to leave, punching Nathan's arm on his way out.

Ô¿ô

The music pounded in Tric as Luke's birthday bash waged on. He looked around at all of the people. Just a few years ago, his only friends were Haley and the kids from the River Court, and now an entire club was here to celebrate his coming-of-age. He had a feeling many of them were really here to see The Fray, who by some miracle, Peyton had convinced to play tonight as her birthday present to Luke (The Fray being his favorite band). The blonde swept his eyes across the club, but Nathan was nowhere to be found. He was slightly disappointed, but he knew Nate would show.

Ô¿ô

Nate didn't show. The party ended, clean up began, and Karen told Luke to go have fun. He stepped outside of the club and took a seat on a bench. He felt kind of hurt. Nathan didn't _have_ to come, he did already give Luke the ultimate gift, and he did have work, but he told Luke he would go. He probably couldn't get out or something, Lucas reasoned, hoped. Trying not to feel too dejected, Lucas decided to make his way over to Nate's apartment to make sure everything was all right.

When he arrived, Lucas found the apartment was locked; however Nate had given him a key. It was dark inside, and Luke was suddenly nervous. He flicked on the lights to find Nate sleeping on the couch. The blonde was relieved, somewhat hurt, and somewhat angry all at once. When he closed the door, Nathan stirred, and peeked an eye open. He suddenly jumped up, rubbing his eyes.

"Oh god, what time is it?" He asked. He saw that it was dark outside, glanced over at the clock, and then realized the party was over. "Oh, Luke, I fell asleep, I'm sorry, seriously, I only meant to lay down for a minute, had a headache…" Nate rambled on. Lucas was at first angry, until he noticed that the sleepy teen was sporting a serious black eye.

"Oh my god, Nate, what happened?" Lucas asked, sitting down next to Nathan to get a better look. Nate looked down to prevent such examination.

"Oh…nothing…I…fight with a…coworker," Nate lied unconvincingly. He couldn't even look Lucas in the eye. Lucas felt hurt again, why was Nathan lying?

"You're lying to me," Luke said coolly.

"No, I'm not," Nathan said. "Well, it's complicated Luke, alright?" Nate replied.

"Nathan, what happened to you?" Lucas asked, concerned. There must be something going on for Nathan to lie to him like this.

"Nothing Lucas, just leave it alone will you?" Nathan said, practically yelling.

"Not a problem," Luke replied with a cold stare, before turning and walking out of the apartment, leaving Nathan standing alone.


	8. Forgiveness and Forboding

Nathan slammed his door shut and sat back down on the couch, holding his head in his hands. Things were getting to be more than he could handle. He didn't want to lie to Lucas, he really didn't, but he couldn't exactly tell him that a loan shark threatening both he and Lucas decided to rough him up as a "gentle reminder" of Nate's debt. If he hadn't missed Luke's party, this little conflict between them probably would have been avoided. He felt terrible for missing the celebration, he had only meant to rest a minute before heading out, but the exhaustion of his last few weeks poured down on him at once. He stood up in frustration and began futilely kicking at the couch, until one blow sent a shock into his toe. He then proceeded to storm into the bedroom, and after about an hour of thrashing around, he eventually drifted into an uneasy sleep.

When Nate woke the following morning, the events of the night before immediately rushed back into his brain. He was wrong, and he knew it. Lucas had the right to be upset. Nathan _did_ miss his birthday party and then lie to his face about why. The brunette was brainstorming a way to apologize to his hurt friend without revealing what happened with Dante, when his train of thought came to a crashing halt with a knock on the door. Lucas poked his head in, and spotted Nathan sitting on the couch. He entered the apartment and offered Nate a coffee as a peace offering. The blonde smiled when his friend accepted the gift with a smile of his own.

"Look man, last night," Luke began before Nate cut him off.

"Don't apologize Lucas. It was my fault, I missed your party and I lied," Nate justified Lucas's reaction.

"No man, I was being totally overdramatic. You don't have to tell me every detail of your life or anything. And don't worry about the party. You already got me," Lucas began but Nate cut him off.

"Do not thank me again or I'll hit you," Nate joked. "I didn't want to lie to you Luke, I just…don't want to talk about it."

"That's fine Nate, that's all you had to say," Lucas said in a tone that absolutely exuded understanding. Nathan wondered how such a fantastic person could stand to be friends with someone like himself, who had put the older teen through so much.

"So, do you want to head over to the River Court, shoot some hoops?" Nate asked Lucas, glad that this little feud was over.

"Yeah," Luke smiled. The two hopped into Nathan's car and the younger teen was caught up on the major events of the previous night's party, such as a slightly intoxicated Brooke winding up in the men's room, or mouth tripping over the wires and disrupting the concert. The two laughed together and eventually made it to the court. After a few matches of one-on-one Nate was clobbering Lucas. The brunette was getting ready to make a shot, but Luke suddenly slowed down. He was breathing deeply.

"You alright man?" Nate asked concerned.

"Yeah…the HCM…I…" Luke panted. Nate approached him, and Luke stole the ball, ran it down the court, and made a slam dunk, laughing and his friend.

"That was low Roe," Nate said, pretending to be upset.

"Yeah, I know," Luke smiled, "but I really do need to rest." The two boys took a seat on the bleacher and sat watching the boats on the river (A pastime of Luke's). After sitting in silence for a few minutes, the blonde finally spoke up again.

"Eric called me last night." He said staring out at the water. Nate peered over at him, suddenly understanding Lucas's heightened state of emotion. Though right now it was impossible to gauge how he felt about the situation, so Nate waited for him to continue. "He wanted to wish me happy birthday and…" He paused, seeming to consider if he wanted to continue. "He wants me to go stay with him for a week or so, to get to know each other." Nate still was unable to pick up any sort of vibe.

"Do _you_ want to?" He asked Luke.

"I…don't know. He's making an effort, but it's almost too late. How can I face someone who waited almost eighteen years to acknowledge my existence?"

"You gave Dan a second chance. Of course he messed it up, but he's far worse than Eric. Maybe Eric is worth it. Look at Peyton; her mom came back, if only because she was dying. But still, she was glad for having met her."

"Maybe your right. I don't know…"

"It's not like you need to decide right now Lucas, you can see him when you're ready."

"I know," Luke smiled at him. After sitting awhile longer, Nate informed his friend that he had to get home in order to prepare for work.

"Want me to drop you off?" Nathan asked?

"Nah, it's nice out, I want to walk."

"You sure you're going to be alright with the whole heart thing…"

"Nate, I'll be fine," Lucas told him. After saying goodbye, Nate got into his car and pulled away. Luke began the not-too-long walk home, enjoying the day, and the fact that he managed to completely make up with Nathan. He pulled out his iPod, on which he had loaded Nate's birthday CD, and cranked the volume, which would prove to be one of the worst decisions of his life, for had Lucas not done so, he might have heard the sound of a certain black sedan approaching quickly from behind.


	9. You're Going To Be Ok

A/N:: Thanks again to everyone who has reviewed. Let me put it this way-when more people review, I crank out the next chapter faster, as I feel more motivated. I usually send each reviewer a thanks, but I think fanfictiondotnet's email/message system is down, for me at least. But please review. PLEASE. About this chapter::It seemed rushed to me, kind of poorly written. Let me know if it's any good, because if it's a load of crap, I might scrap it and start the chapter over again, so please tell me if it's good to spare me that work!

After Nathan had changed into his work uniform (a ridiculous suit with cartoon pretzels all over it), he headed out in his car. Realizing he was late, Nate sped up, pushing the speed limit. But as will happen, whenever you are in a hurry, he came to a traffic jam. Cars seemed to snail passed what Nathan assumed was an accident, cursing that he should be late to work. Though as he drove by the scene, he couldn't help but turn his neck to peek at somebody else's misfortune. What he saw made him sick. Somebody, obviously struck by a vehicle, was lying on the ground, blood covering his face. At a second glance however, Nate saw that "somebody else" was not a stranger, and his entire world stopped. Lucas. Without thinking, Nathan slammed his brake, nearly causing another mini accident. He quickly exited his car and fought his way through the crowd of onlookers that had gathered around his friend. He managed to burst through the ring of people and run to Luke's side. He didn't look good; blood covered his face and body, and he didn't seem to be conscious.

"Lucas," Nate whispered, his voice higher than normal. The look on Nate's face alone was enough to break your heart. Over the past year, Lucas had literally become the most important person in his life. His greatest friend, his hero, and now he lay on the ground, his life slipping away. No, this couldn't be happening, the brunette told himself. It was all too surreal. He soon heard the sounds of an ambulance quickly approaching. The paramedics found him clutching the unconscious body, shaking uncontrollably.

"We're going to help your friend," A woman told him. She pulled him away as the other paramedics loaded Lucas onto a stretched. He followed them into the ambulance, and told the people working to stabilize him about Luke's HCM. They nodded their understanding as the ambulance rushed to the hospital. Nathan held one of Lucas's hands the entire ride whispering, "You're going to be ok."

Ô¿ô

Doctors immediately whisked Lucas away, asking Nate exactly what happened. He explained that he didn't know, that he had found him. He heard a doctor ask a paramedic if the driver was hurt. The driver. Nate hadn't considered it. There was only Lucas in the road. No driver. He knew it immediately: Dante. That stupid bastard. Nathan felt a malice rage through him that he had never experienced. Every inch of him teemed with anger, and his hands began to shake. He still has four days to pay him back. But thoughts of that demon would have to wait; right now Lucas was his priority. He followed the doctors as far as he could, until a nurse asked him to wait outside while they wheeled his best friend into a room.

That was when Nathan finally had a breakdown. He could stand his emancipation, his debt, anything, but now Lucas was possibly dying because of his stupid mistake. He began to shake violently and collapsed against the wall. He held his head as the tears began to fall. Lucas was his life. He may only be realizing it now, but he would do anything for Luke, he would lay his own life down, and how he wished he could right now. How he wished that it were he in that room, fighting to survive, and not Lucas. If anything happened to the Roe son because of him, he didn't know if he could handle it. But right now, for Lucas, he had to pull himself together. He wiped off his eyes and called Karen, explaining what had happened. The terrified mother immediately departed for the hospital, and found Nathan sitting on the floor in the hall outside the room where doctors were currently working to preserve the life that was the center of their own.

The two sat in the hall, waiting for, and dreading the moment the doctor would walk out. After what felt like an eternity during which Nathan feared a life without Luke, the door finally opened. Nate and Karen stood immediately, hoping for the best, preparing for the worst.

"Well, Mr. Roe is going to be alright," The doctor said. Yet neither Nate nor Karen was relieved, for the tone of the doctor's voice told them there was a "but."

"However, there was extensive damage you see," He continued, "And, well, there's a small chance that, well, he may not be able to walk again." Nathan was torn between relief and grief. Lucas might never walk again? Never play basketball, never stand, and never lead a normal life because of all the pride and arrogance that Nate exuded? So much emotion was spreading through him that Nathan just wanted to cry. He knew though, that he needed to be strong for Karen, and pulled her in for a hug as she cried against his shoulder.

"When can we see him?" Nate asked.

"You can come in now, but direct family only," The man said, indicating Nathan.

"He is closer than most of Lucas's real family. He can come in," Karen said coolly. The doctor considered this for a second, and nodded, leading them into the room. Karen let out a gasp at the sight, and Nate had to turn away: Lucas was looking bad. His face was bruised with cuts covering his entire upper body. He was hooked to an IV, and a monitor showed his steady heart beat.

Nathan and Karen took seats next to Lucas. Nate called in at work to explain that he wouldn't be coming. Throughout the few remaining hours of the day, doctors and nurses moved in and out of the room, checking on the unconscious teen. All the while, Nate sat stewing in guilt and misery. Karen eventually drifted off to sleep, but Nathan was denied this luxury. He was afraid that if he closed his eyes, he might never again see Luke open his.


	10. Secret's Out

A/N:: Thanks to the reviewers! Again, I'd be sending you each a message but ff . net is being screwy again. Really, the reviews mean a world to me. And yes, I too would like the chapters to be longer, but I figure that I can live with shorter chapters if i'm cranking one out almost every day. Believe me, some of these chapters, such as this one, just want to be written. It's like being in a battle of wits with myself, if that makes any sense. So here you go, enjoy the chapter, review pretty please, and all the usual:

Nate sat at Lucas's bedside, watching the unconscious teen below him, observing the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest. Karen had gone to schedule physical therapy sessions for Lucas; the doctor explained that he would most likely regain his mobile abilities, albeit slowly. So right now, Nathan was alone, still worrying and stewing in guilt. Karen had managed several hours of sleep, but the brunette's baggy eyes revealed his lack thereof.

As he looked down, Nate noticed something. Lucas's index finger was slowly moving back and forth. His head turned and his eyes cracked a tiny bit. Nathan's heart leapt.

"Lucas?" He asked, leaning in. The blonde's eyes opened all the way, and he weakly smiled up Nate, glad that he was the first person he saw.

"Wha…what," Lucas struggled to speak, his voice raspy and harsh. "What…happened?" He managed to ask.

"You were hit by a car Luke," Nate told him. The distant look in Lucas's eyes told Nathan that he was beginning to remember.

"Water," Lucas whispered. Nate smiled, remembering the older teen asking for the same thing last time he was involved in a car accident. After Luke had some water, his voice sounded a little clearer.

"Is the driver alright?" Lucas asked, sounding concerned. Of course, leave it to Luke to be worried about the guy that plowed him down.

"Well, it was a hit and run," Nate explained, guilt surging through him. Lucas nodded and didn't seem too perturbed.

"Well, I'm alright so I guess it doesn't matter," Lucas smiled, trying not to wonder why this happened to him, trying not to feel sorry for himself. But then he noticed the look on Nathan's face, the look that told him something was wrong. "I _am_ alright, right?" He asked,

"Well, there's a small chance that…"

"What is it Nate?"

"You…might not be able to walk." Horror fell across Luke's face. Nate tried to assure him that everything was going to be all right.

"It's only a small chance Luke, your mom is scheduling physical therapy right now." Nate grabbed one of Lucas's hands and held it between him own. "I'll be here no matter _what_ happens." He suddenly realized that he was _holding Luke's hand_ and promptly let go. Lucas stared at him, his eyes seemingly peering into Nathan's soul. Something about Nate's intensity made Lucas believe that yes, things really _would_ be all right.

Karen returned soon after, and was relieved to find Lucas awake and ok. After an hour or so, she had to return to the café, but only after Nate assured her that he would be there with Luke, and that her son would not be alone. The two boys spent the majority of the day watching television, testing the nurses' patience, or playing with the mechanical bed.

Around six in the evening, an officer knocked on Lucas's door. He informed him that thanks to a witness who wished to remain anonymous, the man who had struck him was caught. It turned out he had quite the track record and was facing charges in multiple states for assault. He was currently being shipped to Texas to face murder charges, and it was safe to assume that he was going to have a very long incarceration.

Nathan was immensely pleased that Dante was put away. Not only because he nearly _killed_ Lucas, but because he didn't have to worry about paying him back. But this also complicated things. Dante didn't randomly hit people, and Lucas wasn't exactly in his way, the question would eventually come to why did Dante hit Luke? Nathan wasn't sure their friendship could survive the truth.

Ô¿ô

It was a week before Lucas's physical therapy was to begin. Nate had to go back to school, and Karen had the café. Luke was dying of boredom. Nathan went straight to the hospital from school and wheeled his friend around the grounds in a wheelchair, but for most of the day, Lucas was alone. To remedy this perpetual boredom, Karen had brought Luke's laptop to the hospital, so he immersed himself once more into the writing nobody was allowed to see. He had begun to pour personal things into his words and was more paranoid than ever when it came to people reading anything he wrote.

Nathan arrived at Luke's room to find him missing. A nurse informed him that Karen had come and was currently walking him outside. Nate decided to wait in the room for his friend to return. Spotting the laptop on the bed, Nathan decided to do a bit of homework while waiting. He picked up the computer and was about the click the Internet Explorer icon when he saw that there were several text documents opened, though all minimized. Respecting Luke's privacy he decided to ignore them, but he then noticed one labeled "Nathan." Letting his curiosity get the better of him, Nate strained his ear to hear if anyone was approaching the room before opening the document to read what Lucas had written about him. The brunette smiled as his eyes perceived many compliments about him. Then suddenly, the tone of the writing shifted. The smile was wiped right off of his face as he skimmed over the page. He had to read it twice to be sure he wasn't crazy. He _had_ to be crazy. There was no way that he was actually reading what he thought he was, because he _thought_ he was reading about Lucas having feelings for him. Lucas, a man, having feelings for Nate, also a man. Crazy, he was crazy.

"Nate?" Nathan looked up to see the injured Luke wheeling himself into the room.


	11. This Is The Answer

A/N:: Is VERY nervous about this chapter, like you couldn't believe Thanks to my faithful reviewers, Miss Meehan usually reviews all chapters too but is apparently MIA. Shrugs Thanks again reviewers, you make my life! But back to this chapter. It's a little longer than normal. I try to make each chapter from one perspective, but this one's all over the place. I don't think you'll mind though. But i'm extremely nervous about this chapter so PLEASE I need feedback!!!! Te amo. OH! Also, I know nothing of medicine, but I do know that Luke's recovery in here may be unrealistically quick. You'll see what I mean, but ignore this detail.

Lucas found Nathan sitting on his bed, computer in hand. Karen had to rush out; a fiasco at the café required her attention. Lucas was left to wheel himself back into his room.

"What're you doing" Lucas asked.

"Uhh…," Nate stammered, "Checking my email," he choked out. He looked frantic, though Luke didn't know why.

"Is everything all right man?" He asked, looking concerned.

"Yeah," Nate replied, "But I…just got called in to work…" He mumbled, turning to leave.

"Before you go Nathan," Lucas paused, as if he was embarrassed to say something. "Can you…help me to get back in bed?" Lucas hated asking for help, and this was kind of awkward.

"Uh yeah," Nate replied as Luke wheeled himself next to the bed. Being that Lucas's legs were practically useless, Nathan had to lift him up out of the wheel chair and gently lay him back in bed. He was out the door before Luke could thank him. Lucas wasn't sure what was up with Nate, but he shrugged it off and he shut off his computer without seeing what was on the screen.

Ô¿ô

The following day, Nate did not stop by the hospital as he did each day before. Lucas was saddened a little, as his friend's visits were pretty much the highlight of his day. But not to worry, today would commence physical therapy. Luke's therapist was a middle-aged man who seemed to hate his job. They started out with simple things such as trying to move his leg a little, to test the waters. Things looked good the man told him. It was concluded that after much intensive work, he would be able to fully regain control of his legs. Luke was ecstatic. He couldn't wait to tell Nathan, but this was difficult as Nate hadn't come back to visit, or picked up his phone. Luke tried not to think too much of it; he was busy Lucas reasoned. He was going to return to school the following day, though still bound to his wheel chair. He could talk to Nate then.

Ô¿ô

Nathan was disgusted. Completely and utterly. But the thing is, he wasn't disgusted because of what he read, he was disgusted becausehe _wasn't_ disgusted. He wasn't offended or weirded out by what he read, and that fact disturbed him. He had left Lucas in the hospital and did not return to visit him, and he proceeded to ignore his phone calls. He felt terribly guilty but he couldn't face Luke right now. He needed to sort things out.

Ô¿ô

Haley wheeled Lucas down the hall at school, ignoring Luke's succession of comments about how he was perfectly capable of wheeling himself.

"So is something going on with Nathan? He's seemingly been detached from your hip! Is something wrong?" Haley asked Lucas.

"I've been wondering. He randomly stopped visiting me at the hospital and didn't answer calls, I think he's just stressed." Luke replied. "I'm not too worried," He lied.

Later in the day, Lucas was wheeling himself to lunch, and managed to catch up with Nathan, who hadn't spoken to him in over a week.

"Hey Nate, is something wrong?" Luke asked, struggling to keep with Nathan's quickening pace.

"No, why?"

"Well, we haven't talked in like a week, I was just making sure you're alright."

"I'm fine, been busy," Nathan replied, not looking at his injured friend. "I've gotta run to my locker," he said, quickly weaving his way through the crowd making it impossible for Luke to follow. Lucas felt hurt and dejected. He was pretty sure it wasn't in his head anymore, but he couldn't think of why Nathan was acting so strange. Sadly he rolled himself to the quad to join Haley for lunch.

Ô¿ô

Two weeks passes where Nathan and Lucas barely spoke. It had little to do with whatever was going on with Nate, but was because Lucas was immensely busy. He had a massive load of makeup work, and intense daily physical therapy sessions. By the end of his third week, he had graduated to crutches. He wasn't so good at the whole walking with leg braces thing yet, but he was getting there. He still needed a wheel chair for school or long distances, but he could manage a small distance with his crutches.

Ô¿ô

Enough of this "not talking to each other," Lucas decided. He had given Nate plenty of space, but he was hurting. He needed a friend right now, he needed Nathan, but he had apparently cut his best friend out of his life for no reason. It was time to solve this.

Lucas had Haley, who didn't realize the full extent to which the two boys were apart; drop him off at her apartment. She helped him struggle up the stairs, but had to rush off to the café. Luke rang the doorbell. He heard movement, then nothing.

"Nate I know you're here. Let me in." After a moment, the door finally opened, and Nathan allowed Lucas to hobble into his apartment. "What is going on Nathan?" Luke asked immediately.

"What're you talking about," Nate tried to stall.

"Stop it Nathan." The hurt look on Luke's face goaded the brunette to tell the truth. "Why are you cutting me out? What did I do to you Nate?" Lucas was getting very upset. "I'm _learning to walk_ again, I need my friend." Nate stared at Lucas considering. Nearly an entire minute passed in silence. Luke shook his head giving Nate a cold look before turning to hobble out the door.

"I read it Lucas." Luke paused, not turning around. What was Nathan talking about? "I read what you wrote Luke, about me." Lucas's heart froze and he turned around so fast he nearly tumbled to the floor. Nate's face was blank; no expression could be extracted. Lucas could've punched himself, and probably would have had it not been for his crutches. He remembered now, the day he found Nate in the hospital. He was on his computer. _How could I have been so stupid to leave it up!?_

"Oh god…Nate…I. I don't know." Lucas turned to leave as quickly as he could. His entire life was just turned upside down. He accidentally let his dreams become aspirations when it came to Nathan. He should never have recorded what he felt. He should never have let it get this far. And now Nate knew, now he would hate Luke forever. He lost his best friend, he lost everything. He needed to get out. He managed to open the door and started hobbling quickly down the stairs.

"Luke! Stop! You can't make it down those stairs!" Luke made it almost to the bottom before his crutch slipped and he came crashing down, tumbling down the final few steps, and was now lying on his back. Nate dashed down the stairs to Luke's side. There were tears in the blonde's eyes. Nathan could feel the grief, the distress, all radiating from the figure below him.

"Nathan, I never meant…" Lucas finally broke down, for the second time in front of his friend. He tried to get up, but couldn't, he tried to get away, but was unable. "Nate, just let me go I…"

It came out of nowhere. Neither teen expected or, or fully understood what was going on. But before Luke could finish whatever desperate sentence he was struggling with, he mouth was covered by Nathan's. Lips fused together in a kiss that literally took their breath away. Nate backed away and looked down at the broken friend beneath him.

It all made sense now. Why he wanted to fix and protect Lucas, why he spent so much time and money on his friend, why his accident affected Nate so deeply, _why Nathan didn't mind what he read._ **So this was the answer: the wreck of a teen below him.**


	12. The Holder And The Held

A/N:: This chapter is pretty short but...two chapters in one night!?! I deserve an award! Like lots of good reviews ;-).

Lucas stared up in disbelief. It was all too surreal. Nathan _couldn't_ have just kissed him. It simply wasn't possible. But there was the confused Nate kneeling above him.

"Luke, oh crap," the brunette began. "You're head is bleeding." Lucas had hit his head on the way down, though aside from that and the pain in his legs, there were no injuries. Nate carefully helped Lucas up, and guided him back up the stairs into the apartment, stationing him on the couch. There they sat, Lucas staring at Nathan, Nathan staring at the floor.

"Did that really just happen?" Nate asked, finally looking at Lucas, whose heart fell.

"Yeah, but I can write it off as temporary insanity and never speak of it again." Lucas said quietly. Nathan seemed to consider this, before taking a deep breath.

"I don't want to pretend it never happened." Lucas gauged his face for a reaction. He seemed sure of himself.

"Are you saying…?" Lucas began. After a moment of staring into each other's eyes, Nathan leaned in. Their lips connected once again. It was awkward at first, neither teen having never kissed another man before a few moments ago. However, as all of their latent emotions finally broke free as their inhibitions fell away, it began to feel like the most natural thing in the world to the two nervous teens. Nathan placed a hand on the side of Lucas's face drawing him in tighter. But Luke suddenly pulled away.

"Are you sure this is what you want Nate?" The blonde asked.

"I've felt weird all year. It confused me, why I spent so much on your gift, why I felt the need to be there for you all the time, why I was there almost everyday after your accident. Well, until…"

"I thought you were mad at me or something."

"No, no. It was just, well, you understand. When I found out, it was kind of a big deal. I didn't want to ignore you but I needed to sort things out."

"I get it. So…where does this leave us? What are we?" Nate considered this for a moment.

"Well, how about it's just us. Just me and you, I mean just you and I."

"You and me," Lucas corrected quietly. Nate refrained from hitting Luke as he was still pretty roughed up from the accident.

"Whatever, the point is, I don't think we need to label anything just yet." Lucas smiled in agreement.

Ô¿ô

At first, the relationship between the boys, in a physical sense, was extremely awkward. Both being men, they really didn't know how to act around each other. However, as soon as this relationship began, they progressed quickly. Friday night came around and Luke was going over to Nate's to watch a movie. He conveniently "forgot" to invite Haley. It was weird at first. The two sat about a foot apart on the couch. But as the film progressed, that foot became ten inches, then eight inches, and then five. Soon they were right next to each other. The movie was a long one, and Lucas, unconsciously, leaned his head on Nate's shoulder as he began to drift off to sleep. Nathan smiled, looking over at the teen that had now dozed off. He pulled his arm out from under Luke, and wrapped it around him, pulling him closer. Luke's head ended up on his chest, and Nate eventually had the blonde wrapped up in his arms. As sleep began to overtake Nathan as well, he slid down the couch so that he was lying, with Luke in his arms, and somehow, in that moment, the world was perfect. He kissed the top of Luke's head and drifted off to sleep, clutching tightly to his chest, this amazing prize he had won.

Ô¿ô

Lucas woke, feeling warmth all around him; warmth he soon realized was Nathan's body. He smiled to himself and turned over in the brunette's arms to see a smiling Nate.

"Morning," Lucas grumbled with a smile. Nathan couldn't help but think that this squinty-eyed, frazzled-hair, half awake Lucas was nothing but adorable, as unmanly as that sounded.

"Morning," Nate responded, leaning in for a kiss. Lucas reciprocated, leaning in to capture Nathan's lips with his own, fusing their minds bodies and souls. It had been a week, but they had fallen into the relationship hard. It was from awkward to perfect nearly over night. And most importantly, they were happy. Lucas was able to forget that he was as of yet handicapped, and could still be considered a bastard child, and Nate could forget about his perpetual financial struggles. When they were together, it was just the two of them. They still did the same things, playing NBA Live, kicking ass over at the River Court, making fun of the rest of their friends. But now they were closer. They could talk about more personal things; they could be open with each other. Nathan was always looking for something to fix, and Lucas was a wreck. Nathan needed something to hold, and Lucas needed to be held. They fit perfectly together. They could be, for the time being, simply happy.


	13. Gone But Not Forgotten

A/N::So this is another short one, but hey, i'm in the middle of an author's block, so three chapters in under 24 hours is a spectacular feat I believe. Sorry this is short, but there's a couple things planned and i'm not sure of their order. And as you will see, I didn't forget the game. It's commin' up soon;). Special thanks to all my faithful reviewers. Please everyone else! Review! Who knows, maybe frequent reviewers will get special content in the future. Haha, nah i'm probably too lazy for that. We'll see. Ok thats enough rambling.

Nathan pulled up next to Luke's house, glancing around to make sure nobody was watching before leaning over and kissing the blonde on the cheek, saying goodbye. Lucas smiled at him as he got out of the car. Nate headed to work.

Things were good. Nate was honestly happy, not just on the surface, for the first time in a long time. Lucas filled in every gap. He was the thing missing from Nathan's arms. He knew that this little high couldn't last, that the nature of their relationship would probably eventually lead to misery, but right now, he felt it was worth it. Nathan realized that just a few weeks ago he refused to look at Luke after he had found out, but now he never wanted to be away from him. There must have been some latent feelings for Luke for such a fast transformation. The intense hatred he once held for the boy was probably just intense denial. Perhaps all of the conflicts were just attempts to get closer to his "foe." Hardships may be at the doorstep, but they didn't have to answer just yet.

Ô¿ô

It was only a week before the Bobcat's game. Nathan was already ecstatic. He had always been excited, but now that he and Lucas were…involved, an entire romantic night in a nice hotel…well…

Lucas seemed to be equally excited, Nate would often spot him hobbling down the hall smiling to himself, and the brunette couldn't help but suspect that his other half's glee was at least partly because of him. During practices, Nate could feel the eyes of the still injured and benched Luke on his back, and for it he was glad.

Ô¿ô

Nathan sat at his computer, struggling to complete a stupid paper. The door opened and Nate smiled as Lucas walk in.

"Hey baby," Nathan said.

"Baby? Did you just call me baby?" Lucas asked, raising one eyebrow.

"Doesn't work?"

"Mm, we'll see," Lucas said, leaning in for a chaste kiss. The two of them hadn't done much more then light kisses, as this type of relationship was still so new. Each one of them knew, however, that was each kiss there came a great desire for much more; but they were not yet ready. Luke walked over and plopped down on the couch and fell silent. Nathan could tell that something was wrong. He sat down next to his…well, he didn't know what he was, he sat next to Luke.

"Is something wrong Lucas?" Nate asked, putting a hand on his back. The blonde leaned back into Nathan's touch,

"We got a bill from the hospital today. A week's stay plus months of physical therapy." Nathan nodded, knowing that Lucas and Karen weren't exactly rolling in cash. "But when I opened it…it was a confirmation of payment. _The bill was already paid…_by Eric." Lucas looked down. Nate understood why he was upset; Eric was always a touchy topic with Luke. It was understandable; Nathan couldn't imagine how it must feel for two fathers to deny your existence. "I of course called to thank him. But…" Luke was troubled. Nate put an arm around him and pulled him in, holding him close. "He wants me to stay with him for a week, I never responded last time he asked. He said he wants the chance to be my father…" Nate wasn't sure how to respond. Lucas was still deeply troubled and he guessed there was another level.

"Well…do you want to see him?" Nate asked, trying to open Luke up.

"Keith paid my hospital bill last time Nathan, _Keith_ wanted to try being my father. Keith _was_ my father. Am I supposed to forget him? Am I supposed to replace him with someone who waited seventeen years to see me?" Lucas's eyes were red, but no tears fell. Nathan held Luke's face between his hands, forcing him to look him in the eye.

"Stop it Lucas. Don't think like that. Keith is irreplaceable. Nobody is trying to take his place. If you're not ready to see Eric, tell him. But believe me when I tell you that Keith is not, and never will be gone." Lucas nodded and rested his head on Nathan's shoulder. Nate wrapped Luke up in his arms and held on tight, trying to push all the bad thoughts away. Eric's arrival was such a curse and a blessing. Nathan knew how much it weighed on Luke and was trying his best to help. "Right now, you don't need to think about this crap. Think about our trip next week." Nate smiled. "A night alone in a hotel with you, whatever will we do?" Lucas placed a hand on Nathan's chest and leaned in for a short kiss.

"I can't wait," He whispered.


	14. The Beloved Stain

A/N:: So this chapter is a wee bit longer, yay. I wanna throw some special thanks to jmd, perfectharmony, simplycharmed, and shenova for your frequent reviews! You are my heroes! Everyone else: Reviewing doesn't take a whole lotta time, and I really 'preciate 'em. PLEASE! Hmm, anything else? If anyone knows why Miss Meehan is MIA, feel free to let me know! Can't get ahold of her! I actually like this chapter, and I hate everything I write. Ok so I mostly just like the ending, but hey, you must like it if you've read 13 chapters:). Again, please review, thanks. Oh, and i'm considering lowering the raitng on this from M to T, mostly so it's more visible. I'm not sure if it's going to get graphic, or any worse than it is, just suggestive. Please let me know if I can drop it, or keep it where it is! Thanks!

Lucas had become a pro at the whole leg braces-and-crutches thing. He could get up, sit down, get out of bed, hobble around, and even climb some stairs unassisted. He always asked Nate for help ascending the stairs at his apartment, though that was probably just a ploy to get the boy to touch him. He couldn't exactly drive yet, so Haley was his primary source of transportation. Consequently, she frequently dumped Lucas off at Nathan's apartment.

"So I'm guessing that talk a few weeks ago mended your lovers' tiff," she joked as she shuttled Luke from school to the apartment. Lucas threw her a look, determining if what she said was really just a joke. It seemed innocent enough. Luke didn't want to keep it from Haley, but this relationship was so delicate the blonde was mortified at the thought of bringing somebody else into the picture. Not yet, not yet. "So what did you talk about that day?" She continued. Lucas tried to quickly come up with a lie.

"Umm…nothing." Okay, so that was pretty lame.

"Nothing?" She asked skeptically.

"Well I guess he was just mega stressed, trying to get into Duke on basketball and…" His sentence faded to mumbling. Haley threw him a suspicious look, but seemed to brush it aside.

"Duke eh? I know a certain Roe child interested in that school…"She smirked.

"Hey, I liked that school fist. It's totally mine." He laughed. Haley glanced at him, more serious now.

"How're you dealing Luke?" He looked at her questioningly. "Well, I know this has been a tough year for you, with all that's happened. I just wanted to make sure you're all right. You kind of seemed down for a while, and now you're all giddy. So I guess I have nothing to worry about…"

"Yeah, I'm finally getting on."

"Yes, now that you're married to Nathan," She joked. Lucas worried that she might have some suspicions. She _was_ driving him here practically every day… "Alright, here we are, get the hell out of my car!"

"I'll see you tomorrow Hales," Luke smiled. He managed to slowly make his way up the stairs to Nathan's door, and unlocked it with his key, as apparently Nate wasn't home yet. He stepped into the apartment and plopped down on the couch, exhausted from his perilous trek up Mt. Staircase. He was sitting on the couch waiting for Nathan when he noticed a stack of home videos. He popped one in. Nate, Tim, and a few other cronies from the team were playing at the brunette's home.

"So, I hear dearest brother wants in on the team," Tim said, smirking at Nathan. Apparently they randomly taped their hangouts. Lucas considered turning the tape off right there, knowing full well where this was going, but he continued watching.

"Yeah, like I'm going to let that happen," Nathan said, hurling the ball hard at Tim, who barely stopped it from colliding with his face. "Like I'm going to let the bastard on my court." Luke felt a pang of hurt, but managed to shrug it off; this wasn't the Nathan he was involved with. Yet he watched on.

"What're you going to do?" Tim asked.

"Scare him off. If the mistake manages to make it on the team, we can haze him off the face of the planet." Another pang. This isn't Nate, Lucas told himself over and over.

"What're you going to do?"

"Well, you know, we would start with the normal stuff. But if he refuses to leave…we can push it."

"What, are you going to rough him up?" Tim asked smiling. In the present, Nate walked into the apartment, unheard by Lucas. Nate saw himself saying on the television that "I wouldn't hesitate to beat him till his ears bleed," the TV-Nate said, completely serious. Lucas now couldn't stop from feeling hurt.

"Aw, so no chance for the brothers to be friends," Tim joked.

"Not even funny," TV-Nate replied, "I will _never_ accept that punk as anything more than a _stain in this town and the Scott family_." The television shut off as Nate dove for the remote. Lucas slowly turned to him. He kept screaming in his head that that wasn't Nathan. It was somebody else. But he really couldn't help feeling so hurt.

"Lucas, that's not me, you know," Nate began before Luke cut him off.

"Till my ears bleed?" He asked, a sad look darkening his face.

"Lucas…" Nate tried to wrap his arms around Luke, but he pulled away.

"You'll never accept me as anything but a _stain_?" Nathan looked down. He thought they had gotten past their past, that they put it behind them.

"Luke, you said it yourself, I was a different person, you forgave me…"

"Yeah. Before I knew you were willing to beat me bloody!" Lucas's voice was rising. The timing for this video was _really_ bad. With all of Luke's insecurities about his abandonment, Nathan, his shield, talking about him as a stain…

"I can't take this anymore, I can't, I can't…" This time Lucas allowed Nate to hold him, as he tried to prevent himself from breaking down.

"Calm down Lucas. That's not me, you _know _it isn't; that's who I was before, before you _saved me_." Nathan pulled Lucas in as close as he could, and the blonde rested his head on Nate's shoulder. "You are _the_ most important thing in my life, Lucas Roe. Whoever I was before, whatever I may have said, it doesn't matter. That's not the person I am, that's not a person I will ever be again. You know that don't you?" After a moment, Lucas nodded against Nate's neck. Nathan dragged the older teen over to the couch and they fell, lying together on the cushions. Lucas was comforted, but Nate suspected he was still a little uneasy. He leaned in for a deep kiss, trying to convey through physical actions the ether of emotion he had for Luke. "Would the old me ever do anything like that?" Nathan smiled.

"Umm, I'm not sure, you better do it again, you know, just to be sure," Lucas finally smiled, Nate always made him feel better. Granted, Nathan was often the reason Luke felt _bad,_ but regardless, he knew he could depend on his…his Nate.

"So you're sure you're all right?" Nate asked.

"I'll be just fine _baby_," Lucas said, leaning in for another kiss.

"Oh, so _you_ can say baby?"

"I told you: we'll see how it goes."

"We leave for the game tomorrow, I just want to make sure everything is all right, that you're all right, that _we're_ all right."

"You know, you're getting too sweet for your own good Nathan."

"What, so you're calling me sweet now?"

"Doesn't work?"

"We'll see."


	15. The Fight And The Revelation

A/N:: I'm SO nervous about this chapter! You have no idea! It literally took me about 6 hours to write, it just didn't want to be written. I had to fight myself! So please, please, after six hours of work, I need to know that it was worth it so review if you never review anything I write ever again! And this is another place where Luke's recoverey is unrealisticly quick--ignore it. This chapter is a little longer than normal--extra bonus. So remember, I went through a lot bringing you this chapter! Review!

Nathan was bouncing around his apartment smiling stupidly, throwing various things into his bag. In just twelve short hours, he and Lucas would _finally_ leave for the game. As they planned to depart so early, Luke planned on crashing at Nate's apartment that night, and he had gone home to pack.

Nathan and Lucas had only been…_Nathan and Lucas_, for a few weeks, but Nate was already completely infatuated with the blonde. He came to realize for sure that he had had feelings for Luke for a long time, and now that he confronted them, they were enhanced extraordinarily. He was really falling for his…his Lucas.

Nathan was searching his refrigerator for a quick snack when he felt arms snake around his waist. He nearly jumped out of his skin, but he realized Luke had come back without him realizing it. He smiled and leaned into back into Lucas. Nothing could ruin this for them.

Ô¿ô

Lucas wanted to watch a movie before they went to sleep. He insisted. Nate was very tired but when he told Luke this, the blonde got all pouty, folded his arms across his chest, and turned away from Nathan, knowing full well the brunette was wrapped around his finger. Nate sighed audibly, giving in.

"Fine, but I get to pick," he said. Luke turned around and smiled.

"Alright, but hurry up." Nate considered carefully which movie to pick, and eventually decided on (the original version of) The Shining. He knew that Lucas spooked very, very easily, and he would therefore be all over Nathan for much of the film. It was an ingenious plan.

It was also an effective plan. Nathan was leaning on the arms of the couch; with a terrified Luke clutching his abdomen so hard it was almost difficult to breath. Nate, being the protective fantastic person he was, felt _obligated_ to wrap his arms around the frightened teen, holding him close to his body. An ingenious and effective plan.

"How am I supposed to sleep after _that_?" Luke asked when the film was finally over.

"I can't believe you had never seen The Shining," Nate replied in disbelief.

"This is exactly why! I'm never going to fall asleep now," Lucas pouted.

"Maybe I can take your mind off things," Nathan smirked, leaning down to kiss the wreck in his arms. Lucas fully reciprocated, moving himself up for better access. Nate deepened the kiss, opening up his mouth and Luke's. The blonde leaned as far into Nathan as possible.

"Better?" The brunette asked.

"Much," Lucas smiled. Nate lay down on the couch, with Luke lying on top of him. The older teen rested his head on Nathan's chest, and Nathan's arms were wrapped around him. Luke was fast asleep in minutes. Nate could never understand how Lucas was able to fall asleep at the drop of a hat. He leaned down, placed a kiss on top of the blonde's head, then pulled a blanket over them, and finally fell asleep

ô¿ô

The alarm on Nate's phone went off. It was 6 am, the day of! He rubbed his eyes and then looked down at Lucas who was fast asleep, lying on top of him, very near drooling on his chest.

"Luke," he whispered, " 's time to get up." Lucas didn't budge. He shook him gently whispering for the boy to awake, but to no avail. This kid could've slept through a hurricane.

"Wake up, it's time to go," he said no longer whispering. He shook Lucas harder, and still he wouldn't wake. A wicked smile crossed Nathan's face. He rolled over, dumping Luke off the couch. The blonde woke with a start.

"Wha'?" He asked, turning his frazzled head towards Nathan.

"It's time to get ready," Nate smiled.

After about an hour, the younger teen had managed to get Lucas awake and ready. By seven thirty they were on the road. Luke slept through the first of the three-hour drive, but finally awoke.

"Finally awake _baby?_" Nathan joked.

"Aw, you're so _sweet_," Lucas replied. They sat in silence for a while, the radio playing softly. At some point, Luke turned his head towards Nathan.

"I think Haley knows," He said. Nathan looked at him quickly, swerving slightly.

"What?" He exclaimed.

"Well, I think she suspects something…she kept giving me suspicious looks, I don't know." Lucas looked out the window.

"You want to tell her don't you?" Nate asked. He knew Luke didn't want to lie, but neither of them really wanted to confront the problems their relationship would bring. Lucas stared at Nate. "You can tell her if you want," Nathan said. He knew Haley would be cool about it, and he was willing to do almost anything to make Luke happy.

"Maybe I will, but…not yet."

Ô¿ô

After a couple hours, the boys were pulling into the city. They checked into their hotel (a rather nice one, in fact the night at the hotel cost more than the tickets). Nathan bought Luke dinner, and finally it was time for the game. Nate's heart melted at the smile on Lucas's face as he hobbled into the stadium, the glossy court reflecting the giant lights above. The blonde was almost able to walk normal again; one leg still bore a brace. There were handicap seats right on the court that went unoccupied, and Lucas and Nathan were offered them. Luke was ecstatic to be this close to a team he never would've thought he could ever see.

Ô¿ô

Finally, after a few stops, some dessert, and walk around the city with celebration of the Bobcat's victory, the pair returned to their hotel around eleven. Both were very nervous, as they felt something was going to happen tonight, that they were going to take it up a level. They both shrugged off the feeling, and walked around the massive suite. They found a refrigerator stocked with ice cream and Lucas insisted on making sundaes, even though they had just enjoyed a dessert. While Nathan was looking down at his treat, he felt a splat of ice cream collide with his face. He looked up to see Lucas laughing at him. Another splat, this one right between the eyes. Nate picked up his bowl and dumped it on Luke's head. The blonde swiftly retaliated with a spray of chocolate syrup. The ice cream war commenced. Soon, both teens were covered head to toe in melted sticky custard. Lucas approached Nathan and licked the ice cream off of the brunette's lips. Nate smiled and leaned in to kiss Luke deeply. The blonde pulled away, looking Nathan in the eyes before leaning in for a frenzied passionate kiss. They pulled each other as close as they could, moving towards the bed. Luke pulled at Nate's shirt until it fell to the floor, and his soon followed. The two collapsed on the bed, desperate to eradicate any space left between them. Nathan began to kiss down Lucas's jaw line, then his neck, and then his chest. He paused to observe the scars on the blonde's torso, the products of the accident.

"They're kind of hideous," Luke whispered looking down.

"No," Nate smiled, "they're a sign. It shows how not even some psycho can take you away from me," he said before he kissed the scars.

"Psycho…" Luke whispered. "I wonder Nathan," he continued, "I wonder about the guy who hit me." Nate began to panic inside; he had thought he might be able to avoid this. "This guy is locked up for murder. I wasn't in his way when he hit me, so it really doesn't look like an accident. But why would that guy want anything to do with me?" He looked down at Nathan who sat up and moved to the edge of the bed, putting his head in his hands.

"Lucas I'm so sorry."

"Nate, don't, it wasn't your fault."

"It was Luke."

"Nate…"

"No Luke, it really was my fault. The guy that hit you…his name is Dante. He's a loan shark. I…I needed money Luke; I didn't have anywhere else to turn to. And when I couldn't pay him back…" Lucas's face was blank, but not a serene blank. "I'm so sorry Luke, I'm so, so, so sorry."

"You mean I almost lost the ability to walk…almost _died_, because you borrowed money from a loan shark?" The indignant blonde asked angrily. Nathan merely stared in response. Luke leapt up from the bed, grabbed his shirt and crutches and hobbled to the door.

"Stop Luke! Stop!" Lucas wheeled around a little too fast and fell to the floor, but fended Nate off with his crutches when the brunette attempted to help him. There were tears in the blonde's eyes, but he was far too angry to cry.

"You could have asked me for help Nathan! You could've asked Dan! How could you do something so stupid?" Luke shouted at the teen in front of him. He struggled and managed to stand himself back up.

"Lucas I know, I never meant for anyone to get hurt…"

"I wouldn't even have cared Nathan," Luke said, looking more betrayed now than angry. "I would've forgiven you if you told me, but you kept it a secret! You let me stew in wonder and misery!"

"How do you think _I_ felt?" Nate asked.

"Oh do not even try to turn yourself into the victim. I would've forgiven you, I would have forgiven you." The last few words were spoken so soft, Nate barely heard them.

"So give me another chance Luke, please let me make things better," Nathan asked desperately; he could not let his stupid mistakes ruin the best thing that ever happened to him.

"I want to Nathan, but I don't know if I can. I don't know if I'll be able to trust you anymore, to believe anything you say."

"Lucas…"

"How can I believe you? Why should I trust you?" Nathan paused for a moment, looking into Lucas's eyes.

"Because, because…" He hesitated. "Because I love you Lucas."


	16. Wrapped Around His Finger

A/N:: Thanks to the four reviewers for chapter 15, you guys don't know what it means to me! Thanks! This chapter i'm kind of freaking out about too. Hmm, that seems to be a trend. Ah well, here we go! PLEASE review!

* * *

"What?" Lucas whispered, not believing what he had just heard. 

"Believe me, trust me, and give me another chance, because _I love you! _" Nate responded. That one took Luke by surprise; he had definitely not seen it coming. He didn't even know how to respond.

"I…I've got to be alone for a little while," He said weakly, hobbling out of the hotel. Nathan respected his wished and stopped himself from following. Lucas left the hotel and found a bench on the streets where he sat, contemplating.

The blonde's head was spinning, so much had just come to the surface, he was having trouble taking it all in. The accident, this "Dante." So it wasn't an accident? Nathan's mistake almost killed him? But Nate was air-headed at times, too proud to ask for help, yet unable to help himself. Luke figured he could forgive Nathan for the accident; he didn't _mean_ for Lucas to get hurt, and he figured he would've been hesitant to ask for help if he were in the same situation. But Nate kept the truth from Luke. He _knew_ his friend had constantly been wondering about his misfortune, which was highlighted by his thoughts of abandonment in regards to Eric and Dan, yet Nate _still _kept him in the dark. Though, in the end, Nathan _did_ tell Luke…but then again, it was only because the blonde had finally laid down The Question, and avoiding it was impossible. Lucas forgave Nate for all the shit he had put his then-brother through, forgiven him for the emotionally scarring comments, he gave him another chance. Could he really do it again? How many times was Nathan going to hurt him? Was this worth sticking around for?

"I love you." The words stung. They were such a mixed blessing. Lucas believed him. He believed that Nate was in love with him, which flipped his world. He had never been loved in that way. Of course Brooke had said it a million times, but she would say _anything_ to get a _different_ kind of lovin'. Nathan was a fool, but he was a fool Luke fell for. He knew what he was getting himself into.

Nate didn't have a steady life, and Lucas was really his only constant. Not knowing love as a child must have blinded him. He didn't realize that Luke could forgive him, never having experienced such mercy. Nathan was afraid of losing the first person he ever truly loved in any sense. Lucas reasoned he could forgive him for that, though they would definitely need to have a talk.

So he _could_ forgive Nate…This made Lucas somewhat worried. He was wrapped around this boy's finger, and he knew that Nathan had the power to destroy him; he had done it before. But as he thought about it, Luke _did_ trust him. Something in the conviction in Nate's words had shown Lucas that he was honestly sorry. So maybe the brunette just sucked at relationships, he had never really been in one if you consider that his "relationship" with Peyton was little more than fighting and drunken sex…

Lucas sighed audibly. He was going to forgive Nate, a part of him knew it the whole time, but he allotted himself _some_ anger and hurt, after all, he _did_ get mowed down by a sedan, and he was still dating the basket case who caused it. That made him one hell of a person, Luke reasoned. Okay, so he allotted himself a little bit of self-appreciation too, something he didn't do that often.

Ô¿ô

When Lucas opened the door to the suite, he spotted Nathan sitting on the edge of the bed. The teen looked up at him and wiped his red eyes. Nathan crying. Now there's something Luke thought he'd never see. The blonde stepped into the room and shut the door behind him, staring at Nate with a blank expression. The younger teen suddenly stood up and walked quickly over to Lucas, throwing his arms around him, suddenly sobbing.

"Lu-Lu-Lucas!" He moaned. "P-please! You have to forgive me! I c-can't lose you!" He sobbed harder. Lucas stood motionless with his hands at his side for a moment, before moving them up Nate's back, pulling him close. He places one hand on the back of Nathan's head, and used the other to rub his back.

"Shhh," He whispered. "You're not going to lose me you big goon," he soothed. Nate calmed down a bit, but refused to let Luke go, probably afraid he would never get to hold him again.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," the younger teen said over and over. "You're the first person who ever really cared about me…I was afraid of losing you, I was afraid you couldn't forgive me…"

"Sshh," Lucas replied. "We can talk about this later, okay?" He felt Nathan nod against his neck. Taking one of Nate's hands between his own, Luke pulled his…whatever Nathan was over to the bed. He lay down and Nate put his arms around Luke's midriff, holding on tight. He still seemed afraid of losing his…his Lucas. The blonde wondered how _he_ ended up being the one comforting when all the wrong was done to _him_. He didn't care, because there was something so reassuring in Nate clutching him so closely. After a few minutes, Nathan had calmed down. Lucas pulled at him until the brunette moved up enough for him to place a short sweet loving kiss. Nate leaned back up to kiss more passionately, and they soon picked up where they had left off before.

It was slower this time, shirts fallings away with other articles of clothing. Nathan rolled Lucas onto his back, kissing him deeply, opening his mouth and soul.

Luke pulled away for a moment, looking Nathan in the eye.

"I love you too..."


	17. The Morning After

Ugh! This chapter was a pain in the freaking ass. Took me three days...it just didn't want to exist, so reviews are greatly appreciated. Also, great new OTH episode! Even if Peyton was acting ridiculously stupid...

And a special shoutout/thanks to lucaslover22, who I somehow left out of my thanks to reviewers a few chapters ago...sorry!

* * *

Nathan had woken nearly a half of an hour ago, but he refused to move. A fast asleep Lucas was curled up next to him, holding on to him like Nate was his teddy bear. His head lay on the brunette's chest, and said brunette had his arms wrapped tightly around Luke, as if the blonde was _his_ teddy bear. Nathan still couldn't believe what had happened the night before. He hadn't meant to blurt out that he loved Lucas, and when he left…he was afraid…but then he came back. Nate had just been afraid of losing the only one who ever truly loved him, the only one he ever truly loved. But Lucas came back, he always came back. He was always there even when Nate screwed everything up like this. And then Luke said he loved Nathan! The last thing he would have ever expected to hear! And then they…they… "Made love," sounded too sappy, but "had sex," sounded too casual. They were together. In a sense, it was the first time for both of them. And it couldn't have been better. Nathan was afraid it would be awkward and weird, but in actuality, it was the most natural thing in the world. It wasn't a meaningless one night stand unlike anything he'd ever experienced. So now he lay clutching his prize.

After a while, he felt Lucas shift, then still. He gently stroked the blonde hair.

"I know you're awake," Nate whispered softly.

"I wasn't pretending to be asleep," Luke replied, looking up.

"Yea, right."

"Well, I was comfortable." Lucas smiled looking up at Nate.

"Did that really happen?" Nate asked.

"Yeah…it really did." Luke smiled. After a few minutes he spoke up again. "Nathan...about Dante. I need you to know that you can come to me with these problems, I need you to know that I can forgive you for mistakes, my problem is with deceit and lies. You don't have to hide shit from me ok?" Nathan nodded and kissed Lucas gently, promising not to make the same mistake again.

The two lay together for a few more minutes before they reluctantly agreed that it was time to get up. Lucas slipped out of bed, quickly wrapping a sheet around him, suddenly self-conscious. Nate chuckled at Luke's modesty.

While the blonde was in the shower, his other half began to prepare the extravagant breakfast he had planned out. The smell of eggs filled the suite and Nate was having a hard time waiting for Luke. When the bathroom door finally opened, Nathan began to tell Lucas off for taking so long.

"_Finally,_ man I thought you were…" But Nate trailed off when he looked up and saw Luke standing in the doorway wearing naught but a towel. He had seen the teen in such a state of undressin the locker room, but that was before…before it mattered to him. Now he looked Lucas up and down, from his shaggy blonde hair, down his toned body, muscled legs (though one still wore the brace) to his feet.

"You thought I was…" Luke smirked.

"Never mind. I made breakfast so go get dressed," Nate said. "…Or don't." The blonde smiled and went to find some clothing, but not before complimenting the five start meal waiting on the table.

When Lucas was finally dressed, he joined Nate at the table to begin this over-the-top breakfast. There was toast, omelets, scrambled eggs, fried eggs, eggs sunny side up, fruit, water, milk, orange juice, and pancakes.

"How the hell did you have time to make all of this?" Luke asked, glancing over the feast.

"Well…" Nate looked guilty. "I made the pancakes…room service brought the rest. But I _paid_ for it! That counts!"  
"Whatever man," Lucas smirked, heading straight for the pancakes. "I think this went much better than out last trip," The blonde said, referring to the trip during which Nate had secretly schedules the HCM tests.

"Lucas…you have HCM." Nate said, something crossing his mind.

"Uh, yeah, thanks, but somebody's mentioned that to me already…"

"But you're not Dan's son." Lucas hadn't considered this before. If he wasn't a Scott son, did that mean Eric could potentially have HCM as well?

"You know, life blows. Two fathers, both desert me, and have the same genetic disorder. Go figure." Lucas was suddenly quite irritable. Nathan had a feeling he could guess why: The Roe son was now obligated to tell Eric about the HCM, he couldn't just ignore it. But if he called Eric, the man would likely try once again to persuade Lucas into visiting, something that Nate suspected he wasn't ready for.

"It's all right Lucas…" Nathan began.

"All right?" Luke snapped. "Which part is all right?" Nate looked down and sighed; every time they got close they had to fight.

"I mean that you don't have to tell Eric, I could or Karen or somebody…"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to be an ass…it's just…frustrating."

"Don't worry about, you can use me as your punching bag all you want," Nate smiled.

"I don't mean to take everything out on you all the time," The blonde continued. "But, I don't have anyone else to turn to. There's always Haley but things with her are complicated…I'm not going to be honest with her until I'm _completely_ honest with her and I'm not ready. That might not seem to make sense but…" He drifted off.

"I think I know what you mean," Nate said, serving Luke a few more pancakes as he had devoured his plate.

"I'll call him." Luke said.

"Huh?"

"Eric. I'll call him when we get back." Nathan merely nodded in response.

Ô¿ô

Nathan was lazing around him apartment, he had dropped Luke and was considering a nap when the phone rang.

"Yeah?" Nate answered.

"Hey," Luke responded.

"Oh, hey _baby_," Nathan joked.

"You're _sweet_," Luke joked back. "I called him. I called Eric."

"Yeah?"

"Yes. He asked me _again_ to stay with him…"

"Lucas remember you don't have to go unless you absolutely want to, and think you're ready."

"I know, I told him I wasn't sure because…well…I want you to come with me."

"Huh?"

"I want to go, but I need somebody there. Somebody I know is…trustworthy. He said he didn't mind, he wants to meet my friends."

"We're just _friends_?"

"Well no, but I wasn't about to tell _him_ that."

"Yeah yeah."

"So will you come with me?"

"Are you sure this is what you want?"

"Yes."

"And it will make you happy?"

"I hope so."

"Of course I'll go."

"Thanks so much Nathan! I've got to get to the café, maybe I'll see you tonight."

"Sure. Oh, and Lucas?"

"Yeah?"  
"I…I love you."

"Nathan?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you too."

CLICK


	18. An Unfortunate Equilibrium

A/N:: I had a pulsing headache when I wrote this. It subsequently sucks. Sorry! I left most of the boys' week at Eric's out, you'll see what I mean, this si because it was useless info that wouldn't really contribute to the plot. And I was lazy. Oh, and this story goes on assuming that Lucas told Eric about the HCM in the phone call mentioned last chapter, just wanted to make that clear.

* * *

Lucas woke to see Nathan lying on his bed, staring at him. He smiled to himself, glad to see the brunette, before he remembered why said brunette was in his room. It was the beginning of spring break. Luke and Nate would be spending the week a few hours away…with Eric.

"Morning beautiful," Nathan said, leaning in to kiss Lucas on the cheek.

"Morning," He responded sadly. He really didn't want to finally confront Eric, but he knew it was inevitable.

"Are you excited?" Nate asked. The blank look on Lucas's face told him he wasn't. "It'll be all right Luke, I'm going to be here with you the entire time." The blonde smiled at him and reluctantly got out of bed.

Ô¿ô

After about an hour, and a goodbye to Karen, Luke and Nate had managed to cram all of their bags into the back of the Scott son's car. Soon enough, they were on the road. Lucas remained silent for some time, staring out the window. Nathan wanted to comfort him, yet wasn't exactly sure how, so he settled on reaching over and taking the nervous teen's hand in his own. Luke turned his head and smiled at the brunette.

After several hours and a few detours (a result of Nathan's poor navigational skills), they arrived at a large ranch style home in a small town similar to Tree Hill. Lucas stared at the house from his car seat for a few minutes before finally getting out and approaching the door, Nate following behind.

The door opened before either teen had a chance to knock. Eric stood smiling at the pair, moving aside to welcome them in. After getting situated (Lucas saddened by the fact that they had separate rooms), they sat down to eat lunch together, all three of them. It was silent and awkward at first, but eventually Eric spoke up.

"So, Nate, you're Dan's son right?"

"Yeah," Nathan responded.

"And so did you two grow up like brothers?" Eric asked.

"No, we didn't really get along until a few years ago…" Nate trailed off. This conversation could tread into the whole abandonment issue and Nathan wasn't sure Luke would be able to handle that just yet.

"Yeah," Eric said, swallowing a bite of sandwich, "I can't see Dan being too crazy about his prized son hanging around his rejected son," The older man said, realizing his mistake a fraction of a second too late. Luke looked up at him, his face blank, and then left the table, heading to his room.

"Are you stupid?" Nate angrily asked Eric, not caring if he was rude. He left the man alone at the table and followed Lucas to his room.

"I want to leave," Luke said, sitting on the bed with his head in his hands. Nathan sat next to him, gently placing his hand on the blonde's back.

"Don't give up just yet Lucas," Nate said. "He made a stupid mistake, but give him at least twenty-four hours ok? Then we can leave. Can we do that? One full day?" Luke sighed and eventually nodded his agreement, but refused to leave his room just yet.

Nathan left and found Eric sitting on his couch looking down.

"Imagine if you found out that two separate people both believed they were your father, and both abandoned you, cut you out, denied you. You can't make jokes about this; do you realize how much it took for Lucas to come here? He's giving you your chance, don't blow it." Nate stated coolly. Eric nodded his understanding.

Ô¿ô

After the first lunch incident, the week actually went well. Lucas and Eric seemed to hit it off, actually bonding. Nathan smiled from the sidelines, glad he had pushed Luke to stay. Eric showed them around town, brought them to his office where he worked in real estate, and led them to the local basketball courts, where the two kicked the ass of every local kid who dared play them. Eric and Luke spent hours discussing literature, and Lucas was genuinely glad to be there. Nobody would ever replace Keith as his father, biological or otherwise, but Eric was somebody Luke could let into his life.

Ô¿ô

There was a trend in Lucas's life, where whenever something great happened, it had to be balanced. Two nights before the end of their week together, Lucas, Nathan, and Eric sat up playing cards. Eventually, Luke was dangerously close to falling asleep so the three agreed to call it quits. Nate was in the shower so Eric told Lucas he could brush his teeth in his bathroom. After making sure his teeth could blind, the blonde pulled out his pills. He had hated taking pills all his life, and now he was condemned to do so every morning and night. He looked around for a paper cup for water but none were to be seen. He opened the medicine cabinet and spotted what he was looking for. A small stack of dixie cups was situated next to several bottles of pills. Pills that looked very familiar. Lucas pulled one out of the cabinet to check the label, realizing that it was the same pill _he_ had been prescribed, for his HCM. And this last refill was well before the Roe son had called his father. As the implications of this dawned on Luke, anger began to course through his veins.

Lucas stormed into the kitchen where Eric and a freshly showered Nathan were talking.

"You knew!" Luke shouted, throwing the pills at Eric. "You knew! _You knew_!" He yelled. Nathan and Eric looked up in surprise. "You _knew_ you had HCM!" Nathan looked over at Eric who looked down at the ground. "You stupid bastard!" Lucas was losing control, he hadn't ever been this angry even with Dan. Eric didn't respond, he couldn't think of anything to say. "For seventeen years you _knew_ that I could have a potentially fatal disorder and didn't say _anything?_ What the hell is _wrong _with you?"

"Lucas, I didn't even know if you were my kid…" Luke couldn't believe that that was his excuse.

"What the hell does _that_ matter? You were willing to let me go on not knowing because there was a chance I _might_ not be your kid? And then you found out months ago! You're telling me that you couldn't have mentioned it _then,_ when you _knew_ I was yours?" Lucas shouted.

"You already knew!"

"Yeah, but _you_ didn't know that, you were perfectly willing to let me go on playing a draining sports knowing there was a fifty per cent chance it could kill me? Are you sick or something?" Before Eric could even respond, Luke was out the front door. Nate gave the older man a dirty look before going to pack their bags; this trip was over.


	19. How Strange This Strength Unknown

A/N:: I've had a really bad couple days, hence the lack of speedy updates. Sorry. I stayed up really late tonight trying to finish this for you guys 'cause I felt bad. See, I have some guests stayinf with me thursday-sunday so there will be no writing done (unless I get to it tomorrow--doubtful) until monday at the earliest. Sorry! But review and maybe it will come faster.

PS-If the part about Deb at the end of this chapters seems random, it's there for a reason, don't worry!

Review!

* * *

Lucas was silent the entire drive home. Nathan didn't push for him to talk. It was late at night. Rain had begun to fall and the streetlights were reflected on the wet road, a line of glowing orbs to mirror those overhead. The stars and sky were blanketed in thunderclouds. Consequently, apart from the streetlights and Nate's car, the world was dark.

Nathan was of course angry, but what upset him most wasn't Eric's folly, but Lucas's loss of potential family. Seeing how happy the blonde had been made Nate glad. The kid deserved a lot of things he didn't have, such as a father. But this too he was now denied, again. What surprised Nathan was Lucas's reaction. He was silent, a blank stare on his face, eyes focused on a point directly in front of him. No tears, no sorrow, just emptiness. Nate wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing, either way, he was worried about the teen.

As they finally approached Tree Hill at the end of the lengthy drive, Nathan glanced at the clock: it was nearly two in the morning. Lucas hadn't fallen asleep; in fact he hadn't even moved or shifted his eyes noticeably during the ride. Nate reached over and took one of Luke's hands with his own, giving it a squeeze.

"Lucas…it's awfully late, you'll wake up your mom if I drop you off now. Do you want to crash at my place?" The brunette asked softly. Luke stared at him with that blank expression, those eyes that bore into his soul. After a moment he nodded, then returned to his distant gazing.

The pair eventually made it to Nathan's apartment. The younger teen left the car and stood in the pouring rain for nearly three minutes waiting for Lucas to finally move from his frozen demeanor. The slightly damp Luke crawled straight into bed after kicking off his shoes and jacket, while the thoroughly drenched Nathan cast off his shirt and grabbed a pair of sweatpants. Immediately after the young Scott made it into bed, Lucas moved over to his side, wrapped on arm around his abdomen, and rested his head on the chiseled chest. Nate smiled sadly, wrapping his arms around the blonde, pulling him as close as he could. Other than this grip on Nathan, Luke had still shown no emotion, and Nate could tell he wasn't anywhere near falling asleep. So he stayed awake too, listening to the sound of Luke's rhythmic breathing, swaying the teen ever so gently in his arms…

Ô¿ô

The morning sun poured through the window, bathing the bedroom in a bright glow. As he woke, Nate threw an arm over his face to block out the offending light. He felt cold, and as he gathered the strength to sit up, he realized he was alone. He snapped awake. Where was Lucas? Worried that the teen may have done something stupid as a result of the previous night's revelation, Nathan leapt out of bed and rushed into the hallway. What he saw stopped him in his tracks. Luke was sitting at the kitchen table, an extravagant breakfast consisting of pancakes, waffles, fruit, eggs, bacon, and many other morning foods was laid out on a nice table cloth. It was even fancier than their breakfast at the hotel, and the messy state of the kitchen told Nate that it was a hand-cooked meal. Seeing the stupefied look on Nathan's face, Luke smiled.

"Mornin' beautiful," the blonde said cheerfully.

"Um…good morning?" The still confused Nate mumbled.

"I've been up since five, starving, but I wanted to wait for you," Luke said, indicating the plate designated for Nathan. The younger teen, still baffled about this behavior, considered questioning Lucas. The blonde seemed happy though, and Nate was starving, so he instead sat down to eat. Luke kept piling food onto his plate until Nathan forced him to stop, being afraid he might rupture his stomach. The smiling Lucas got up and began to clear the table and then proceeded to wash the dishes. Nate walked up behind him as he stood at the sink, and snaked his arms around the older teen's waist. With a happy sigh, Lucas leaned back into Nate's embrace. Nate placed a kiss on the crook of the blonde's neck.

"Are you all right _baby_?" Nathan asked. It was a serious question but he threw the nickname in to lighten to mood.

"Yes, _sweetie_. I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well…"

"Look, Eric was an asshole. If that's who he really was, I don't want him in my life anyway." Lucas turned around to face Nathan, while still wrapped in his arms. "It sucks, but there's a lot of good things in my life and I'm not going to let them slip away because of some jerk."

"Good things? Like what?" Nate smiled. Lucas leaned in and kissed him lightly.

"I think you know."

This was all so strange for Nathan, this departure from the insecure, messed up, broken Luke. He would never have guessed his blonde would react this way, become stronger. Nate didn't know what triggered this transformation, but he was glad. Lucas was happy, and that had become his primary concern in life, even over his own life.

Ô¿ô

Lucas was preparing to leave; Karen still didn't know he was back in Tree Hill so he was going to head home. Nathan was saying goodbye when his cell rang, he saw that it was his mother calling.

"Hello?" He asked. Luke waited for him, wanting to steal one last kiss before heading off. When Nate hung up, the look on his face told him something significant or terrible just happened.

"What is it?" Luke asked, concerned.

"My mom's pregnant..."


	20. From The Eyes of an Other

A/N::This chapter is extremely short. Sorry! But as I said, I will be unable to write between thursday and sunday so I just wanted to get you guys something before then. Consequently i'm up until some ungodly hour writing it for you. So yes, it is short. Thanks again to all the reviewers! Veracity is comming to a close. But don't worry! The story will continue under a new story. Different era, different story eh? Sorry for all of my long author's notes! Please review!

* * *

Lucas waited for Nathan's reaction before having one of his own. The brunette stood in silence for a few moments before a small smile graced his face.

"My mom's pregnant," he repeated, this time happily. "I'm going to have a little brother or sister!" The smile grew wide. It surprised Luke, he hadn't pegged Nate as a person who tolerates kids. But he seemed genuinely excited, so he was too. Moving over to Nathan, Lucas pulled him into a hug. After moving back, he leaned in for a quick kiss.

"Maybe you'll be nicer to this one than your last sibling." Lucas smirked. Nate fell silent. So that was probably in poor taste, he knew Nathan suffered (unnecessarily) from a lot of guilt for his treatment of Luke. "Nate, it's a joke. It's all right!" Nathan didn't look entirely convinced. "I don't care what you did in the past...Nathan…I…I love you." It was still weird to say even if he felt it, but the brunette smiled and pulled Lucas into a hug, something he didn't normally do.

"I love you too," He whispered into blonde hair.

Ô¿ô

"Please?" Lucas begged as the pair left the locker room after practice. Nathan shook his head. "Come on, _please_? I thought you said you liked making me happy!" Luke put on the best puppy dog eyes he could muster. Exasperated, Nate looked around to see if anybody was watching. He took Lucas's face in his hands.

"Fine! Will you shut the hell up already?" Luke smiled his winning smile and quickly left for his car leaving Nate standing alone. Each Saturday night, the pair chose a movie to watch together and Lucas slept at the apartment. While they hadn't… "Been intimate" since their time in the hotel, the pair loved the night when they could fall asleep and wake together.

Tonight, it was technically Nathan's turn to pick a movie, but Lucas desperately wanted to watch The Lord of The Rings. While Nate had never dabbled into the series or films, Luke was obsessed. He couldn't convince the brunette to read them, but now he managed to get Nate to at least _watch_ them. Smiling to himself, Lucas climbed into his car and headed home.

Ô¿ô

Luke let himself into the apartment and found Nate making some popcorn. Lucas sat at the table as the younger teen washed a few dishes and found a bowl for the snacks.

"You've been really happy the last few days," Nathan commented in a flat tone.

"You say that like it's a bad thing. So what if I'm happy?"

"Well it's just that, you know, after what happened with Eric…"

"Stop it Nathan. I told you I'm all right. I'm not going to let him ruin my life. Why is that hard for you to accept?" Luke snapped. Nate was surprised by this little outburst.

"I just wanted to make sure you were all right, sorry for caring," Nathan said slightly hurt. Lucas sighed.

"I'm sorry Nate. It's just that I don't want to dwell on him. I'm over it, believe me. He helped really, helped me to realize that all the crappy stuff in life isn't what matters, and that I have a lot of good to focus on. I didn't mean to snap."

"Aw, you're sweet." Nate smirked.

"Actually, _you're_ sweet. I'm a babe remember?"

Nate smiled. "So can we get this movie going? The faster it starts the faster it ends." Lucas smiled and put the DVD in the DVD player. Nate lay down on the couch with a pillow under his head. Lucas treated him as a giant cushion, laying on top of him and snuggling close, pulling a blanket over the two. Nathan smiled as he moved his arms protectively around Luke. He didn't know why, but whenever the blonde rests against him, the world was ok. Everything was at peace.

About a half an hour into the movie, Lucas was drooling on Nate's chest. The brunette chuckled to himself. The older teen had been so bent on getting Nathan to watch this movie, and now he couldn't stay awake. Turning the volume down low, Nate kissed the top of Luke's head, and rested his own against the blonde hair, letting sleep slowly take him.

Ô¿ô

The room was suddenly bright. Lucas assumed it was morning, but soon realized it was still dark outside, and that the lights in the apartment were on. Turning his head, his heart dropped through the floor. Skillz stood in the apartment staring down at the two teens curled up together on the couch.

"Skillz…" Luke said, mortified.


	21. Between Us Shall No Thing Come

A/N:: Sorry it took so long for an update, but as most of you know, I had guests and other scheduling conflicts over the last week. Thanks to my reviewers! (The other comment I had previously had here about "the rest of you" was written while I was in a pretty bad mood and I want to apologize!) That's pretty much all i've got to say...REVIEW!

* * *

Nathan woke with a start when an audible crash filled the room. He sat up and saw Luke on the floor. 

"What the hell are you doing?" Nate asked, but Lucas' eyes were fixated on something else. The brunette slowly turned his head to see Skills standing in his apartment, staring with an open mouth and widened eyes at the two teens that moments before had been bundled up in each other's arms. "Oh shit," he uttered.

"Um, sorry guys, I'll just go," Skillz said avoiding either teen's eyes.

"Wait, Skillz…it's not what it looks like," Lucas said, unconvincingly. Skillz gave him a skeptical look. "Well…"

"Look man," Nate cut in, "You can't tell anybody about this." Skillz stared at the two frazzled teens for a moment.

"So you two are…you two are…" The teen struggled for words.

"Yeah…" Lucas responded lamely, staring at the ground embarrassed.

"Well that's…uh…" Skillz was clearly uncomfortable and didn't know how to react or handle himself. "If you guys are happy I guess."

"Yeah, we are," Nate smiled, looking over at Lucas, ignoring how this comment could potentially make Skillz even more uncomfortable. It was amazing how quickly Nate went from awkward to sure of himself.

"But Skillz, you can't tell anybody about this. There are way too many issues that would come up that we just can't handle yet." Lucas pleaded; his fear shown in his tone. Once the initial shock wore off, Skillz regained his composure.

"Yeah, it's all right man, I understand. So, um, does this mean you two are gay?" He asked awkwardly. Lucas and Nathan both glanced at each other then at the ground; this was a question they avoided asking anyone, including themselves. Truth be told, Nathan wasn't sure if he was gay. He had never been attracted to a man before Lucas. He found the blonde wonderful on the eyes but didn't feel this way about anybody else of the male gender, and he still found women attractive. So did that make him straight with an exception? Bi? Gay? He wasn't sure. The look on Luke's face told him that his companion felt the same way.

"Not really…maybe…we don't know," Nate replied, rubbing the back of his head, wishing the situation could have been avoided.

"It's all right, whatever man, I'm cool with it," Skillz said. He was a fantastic friend, and once the surprise of this situation wore off, he returned to his normal compassionate, open minded, and supportive nature.

Lucas glanced at his watch; it was nearly three in the morning.

"Uh Skillz," Lucas began, "What the hell are you doing here at three in the morning?" Lucas inquired.

"Oh yea! I forgot! Sorry, Mouth is completely wasted, I found him at the River Court passed out on the bleachers on my way home from Bevin's." Skillz quickly explained.

Deciding not to ask what Skillz and Bevin were up to this late, Nate asked, "So why are you _here_?"

"Well, if I brought him home his parents would probably kill him…"

"You mean he's _here_?" Lucas asked.

"Yeah…he's in the car outside. Do you think he can crash here tonight? If he's not interrupting anything…" Skillz went quiet.

"Yea," Nate chuckled, "Yea he can stay, he's not interrupting anything."

"Cool," Skillz replied. "I'll go grab him."

Once he left, Nate and Luke slowly locked eyes. Nathan was afraid that with public exposure, Lucas might have second thoughts about their relationship. To his relief, however, Luke smiled.

"That went well," the blonde mumbled, rubbing his eyes sleepily.

"Yeah," Nate agreed. "This doesn't mean we have to tell anyone else, does it?" The brunette asked nervously.

"God no."

"Good."

The two stood up and Lucas arranged the blankets on the couch for Mouth before turning to walk down the hall towards the bedroom. Nate followed.

"Whoa," Luke said turning to put a hand on Nathan's chest, stopping him. "Where do you think you're going?"

"To bed…" Nate replied confused.

"No. We can't sleep together if Mouth is here. You have to sleep out here with him," Lucas explained.

"Hey, it's _my_ bedroom and _my_ apartment, you can sleep in here and _I'll _take my bed," Nate replied. Lucas stepped close to Nathan, taking his hands in his own. He stared into the brunette's eyes with his penetrating blue stare that weakened the teen's resolve.

"But you care about me _so_ much and wouldn't leave me to sleep on the floor would you?" Luke pouted. He placed his head on Nate's shoulder. "Please?"

Nate sighed, "You're a jerk."

"Yes," Lucas agreed, "But you love me anyway." The two pulled apart when they heard the door open and Skillz appeared, hauling an unconscious Mouth in and dumping him on the couch.

"Thanks guys," Skillz said. "Don't worry, your secret's safe." Nathan smiled in response and made sure to lock the door after Skillz left. He found a place on the floor while Luke sought the comfort of his bed. Eventually, the brunette managed to nod off, clutching a pillow in his arms that he imagined was the warm body of Lucas Roe.

Ô¿ô

Something large fell onto Nate and he woke with a start to find that Mouth had rolled off of the couch and onto him. Pushing the smaller teen off, Nathan grumbled and sat up. His clock told him that it was about nine in the morning. With much effort he managed to stand up and stretch, then look down at the unconscious figure below him. He slowly shook Mouth awake.

"Yo, Mouth," he said, shaking the teen's slender frame. "Wake up man." Mouth finally woke, but covered his eyes against the light.

"Argh! Too bright!"

"Maybe if you didn't get yourself trashed last night," Nathan teased.

"Do you need to talk so loud?" The hung over boy grumbled, pulling a pillow across his face.

"Don't you need to go home?" Nate asked, hoping the teen would leave so he could crawl back into bed with Lucas.

"Meh."

"I see. So why exactly were you out drinking last night?" Nathan inquired, curious.

"Because women suck."

"Gotcha," Nate responded. "You still lusting after Brooke?" He mused.

"Meh. Not that it would matter because apparently she's still in love with the Golden Boy," Mouth hissed, not removing his head from the underside of the pillow.

"Huh?" Nate asked.

"Lucas. Brooke is still in love with _Lucas._ And God knows he'll probably take her back."

Nathan stood shocked. Brooke still loved Lucas? Shortly before the Eric Revelation occurred, the brown haired girl had shattered the blonde's heart into a thousand shards. Even months later when the former brothers had become best friends, and Lucas claimed to be completely over her, Nate knew that she still resided in his heart. Things were different now, Luke was with Nathan, they were happy together, and they _loved_ each other, but this didn't quell the younger teen's fears that Lucas might leave him if he thought Brooke would take him back. _Would_ Luke leave? Did Luke still care for her?

Now Nathan felt guilty for questioning Lucas's heart, but he couldn't help it. Nobody in his life had ever impacted him like the blonde had, so he was afraid of losing him, afraid he wasn't good enough, afraid of so many things and this revelation about Brooke only worsened the feeling. But no, Nate promised Luke no more secrets. He wouldn't keep this bottled up until somebody got hurt. When the older teen awoke, Nathan resolved to discuss this with him. He really did trust Lucas of course, and he didn't think the teen would leave him, but he just needed some reassurance.

Nate was impressed with himself. A few months ago, if such a situation had made itself present, he would have reacted much differently. He would probably have stormed around in a jealous rage but refuse to tell anybody why, and would then proceed to push Lucas away until he had pretty much reduced their relationship to what his and Peyton's had been. But no, this was different. As soon as he grew close to Luke, the blonde immediately began to change his life. He was happier, kinder, got better grades, and had a generally more positive outlook on life. How could one person have touched him so deeply? How could this one teen have saved him from a life that couldn't end any way but badly? How could somebody whose life he tried to ruin turn around and glorify his own? The human soul was such an extraordinary thing, and Nathan was simply grateful to have one entwined with his own. Lucas had really changed who Nate was, redefined him as a person the younger teen would never have aspired to become. He wasn't about to toss it all away because of some jealousy issue. It became clear to him in this moment that Lucas Roe was the greatest thing that ever happened to him, and he would fight until his very last breath to keep and protect the one who was responsible for his transformation into a person he could be proud of. Nothing was going to stand between he and Luke, nothing.


	22. The Growth of a Soul

Warning: long author's note. But it's important! So lately life has been a bitch and i've been dealin' with it. I have been having a lot of trouble writing hence the hiatus, and for that I apologize. Luckily things are looking up, life is improving. So does this mean the hiatus is over? Not sure. I don't know when I will be able to write the next chapter...this week, next month, who knows. Thanks everyone who has reviewed, I appreciate the support. To those who don't review-that's fine too. I've decided to stop bugging you about it. I don't always review either. I see the hit count on the story so I know you're there. I appreciate it when you do review, if not, don't worry about it! I'm sorry i've been such a jerk about it! I really am! Bleck, I feel like an ass. So if you want to review, it's very helpful, if not, I completely understand! )...This chapter is very very short. I already blabbed about not being able to write. I couldn't sleep and it was 2am and I felt inspired so got this out. I know it's really short but hey-it's something! Thanks for being so patient sp? with me, and sticking with me! You have no idea how much I appreciate it!

* * *

Lucas woke in Nathan's bed. He rolled over to find that the brunette was not with him, and the events of the previous night rushed back to his head. He sighed. Skillz was trustworthy and open minded, and once the shock wore off he seemed fine with things. Still, Luke would've preferred to keep the whole thing under wraps. Or to live in a society where that wouldn't be necessary.

The blonde stretched after sliding off the bed. He wandered out into the apartment to find that he was alone. A sign on the door read "taking Mouth home, be back soon." Lucas proceeded to pick up the blankets and pillows used by Nate and Mouth. Once the place looked _somewhat_ clean, he plopped down on the couch and flicked on the television, wondering if any stations still played Saturday-morning cartoons.

It was another twenty minutes before he heard the sound of Nate's car pull up to the apartment. When the brunette walked in quietly, thinking Luke might still be asleep, it was to find the blonde watching Looney Tunes. He laughed.

"Mouth alright?" Lucas enquired.

"Yeah, I can't believe he was drunk," Nathan chuckled, sitting on the couch next to Luke.

"I wonder what made him do that," the blonde thought out loud.

"About that…" Nathan spoke quietly and Lucas sensed a not-so-happy conversation approaching. "I kind of know why."

"This doesn't sound like an amusing story," Luke replied in response to the tone of Nathan's voice.

"You know how Mouth has always wanted Brooke?" Nate asked.

"Yeah…" Lucas responded.

"Well, he found out that she's in love with someone else."

"Leave it to Brooke," Lucas laughed. "Who is it this time?" Nate took a breath before answering.

"You." Now Lucas hadn't been expecting that one. Brooke still loved him? A few months ago he would've burst with joy upon hearing that, now he just felt bad for her: she wouldn't get what she wants. Nathan looked worried.

"What's with the look?" The blonde asked.

"Well," Nate began, "I know how you felt about her. You guys were in love. I was sort of afraid you might leave me…" That statement surprised Luke. Nathan admitting he was afraid of something? He didn't just repress it until they wound up in some fight? He was impressed.

"Nathan," Lucas smiled, taking the brunettes face in his hands, "I don't love Brooke. I love _you_. She is just going to have to find somebody new to love. I hear Mouth is available." Nathan laughed and leaned in to kiss Lucas. "Besides," the older teen continued, "I don't think I really loved her."

"You don't?" A surprised Nate asked.

"No, I mean at the time I thought so, but in retrospect? Not so much. See, love is the highest right? It's the most you can care for a person."

"Yeah," Nathan agreed.

"Well I care about you so much more than I ever did her, so I don't think I loved her. And I don't think it's impossible to care about somebody more than I do for you, so I think I _do_ love _you_." Nate beamed. Lucas could tell how much this has been bothering him. "Look at you, you've grown," The blonde smiled.

"Nah, I'm still the same height."

"No," Luke laughed, "Character. A while ago you would have just bottled this all up and somebody would've gotten hurt."

"That's what you do to me," Nathan smiled as he pulled the older teen into a hug. "But look at you, you handled Eric so well, you were stronger and independent. A little while ago it might not have ended so well."

"That's what you do to me," Lucas smiled.

"Did I ever tell you how wonderful you are?" Nate asked.

"No, but I already knew," Luke smiled.

* * *

What did I tell ya? Short! Bah, sorry! Oh well, i'm sure you'll get over it. Also, please excuse any syntactical or grammatical errors, I proofread, but this late the words start blending together andnowIreallyshouldsleeeeepkjfgksfdgnsfd.gj;dhnh 


	23. Intelligence and Insecurity

A/N:: I have endless apologies. I neglected this story and you wonderful, wonderful readers too long. I am also sorry that I didn't get a chapter up by Tuesday like I promised. But see, I ended up going out of town for a few days and had a minor accident. I was home Monday night and elected to spend the next few days laying down and not moving. So I hope you can forgive me. As for this chapter, i'm not positive i'll keep it. I had zero inspiration/ideas when I wrote it so it's kind of rambling and nonsequuential. If it is lame let me know and I will rewrite it when I have some actual ideas. Thanks again to all reviewers, and all other readers:). On a side note, being a die-hard Harry Potter fan i've been considering attempting a Harry/Cedric fic, if any of you are interested check it out (if I ever get it going!). I think that's all...yep...

* * *

Nate felt like he had been waiting on Lucas' bed for hours. The blonde had insisted on taking a shower (for the second time that day) before the two headed off to see a movie. The older teen had now been in the bathroom for twenty-five minutes. Luke's laptop provided Nathan with little entertainment so he began looking around the room. He spotted a massive binder over flowing with papers. "AP Literature" was scrawled across the front in Sharpie. Opening it, the brunette found that everything in it was over his head. He was about to close the binder and pursue a new means of time passing when something caught his eye: Lucas' transcript. Glancing at it he saw that nearly every class the Roe son was taking was AP. And in all of them he had a near 100 average. He looked for the class rank to find that Luke was second. _Second!_ The blonde was salutatorian! While Nathan should've been extremely pleased at his other half's immense success, it actually made him feel a little glum. All this time he knew that Luke was smart, but he never knew he was a sheer _genius_. Why would somebody with so much intelligence waste his time with somebody just fighting to pass? Somebody who got into Duke on brawn, not brains? No. Stop that. Nate wouldn't let himself go there. His thoughts was broken when somebody burst into the room laughing into a cell phone.

"Ha¿Y qué diciste?" Luke was speaking in rapid Spanish, nothing the younger teen could understand, even after taking four years of the class. "Ew! No quiero pensar sobre esa mujer sin ropa!" He laughed. "Buen, tengo que írme…hablaré contigo más tarde…adios, te amo." He smiled as he hung up the phone. "Ready to go?"

"Who were you talking to?" Nate asked, not even wondering why Luke had his cell in the bathroom.

"In Spanish we had pen pals, I was talking to Mercédes, she was mine."

"I don't remember a lot of Spanish, but doesn't 'te amo' mean I love you?" The still-sitting teen asked suspiciously.

"Yea…" Lucas replied, no longer smiling. "It's just a 'good bye, talk to you later, love ya' kind of thing…" When Nate didn't respond, the blonde asked, "What are you implying?" The incredulous look on his face made Nathan feel ashamed for even beginning to think it.

"No, no, of course not," He stood up and slowly kissed Luke, who didn't return the gesture.

"What's up? Why so…I don't even know. What's wrong?"

Nate sighed.

"Nothing, it's just…I didn't know you were second in our class."

"And that's a bad thing?"

"No! No," The taller boy said, before Luke could misinterpret. "It just makes me feel a little less…bright. But it's stupid it's nothing."

"Yea…Nathan you're not unintelligent you know?" Concern was all over his face as he spoke.

"Well it's not like I get stellar grades, and if it wasn't for basketball I wouldn't even have gotten into a good school, and—"

"Stop," Luke commanded. "You were a different person remember? You didn't _try_. Haven't you noticed how much your grades have improved? You'll do _great_ at Duke if you apply yourself?"

"You knew my grades went up?"

"Well, yeah, I pay attention."

"I didn't know you were second in our class…"

"I don't care! Come on, let's go before you get even more mopey." Nate smiled at this and agreed. As they drove off Luke turned to his companion. "What's up with you tonight?"

"What do you mean?" The brunette questioned.

"All the insecurity. What's up?"

"I don't really know. I've just been stressed lately…school…work…that whole thing with Skillz…I haven't been myself."

"I know what you mean. But we're close to graduation. Soon we'll be free!" The smile that graced Lucas' face lifted Nathan's spirits. He reached over and took the blonde's hand, pulling it up and leaving a short kiss. "How chivalrous of you," Luke joked. "So I have this idea."

"Oh yea?"

"A friend of my mom's invited us to spend a week at their cottage, near Charlotte while the family was away on vacation at the beginning of summer. Mom can't make it as she has some maintenance going on with Tric. She said I could go and bring some friends if I wanted. I thought maybe we could go, you know, just us. If you wanted to of course…" Nate had to laugh at the unsure look on his face. Why _wouldn't_ he want to go?

"Of course I want to go! A whole week away, having you all to myself! When do we leave?"

"Not sure, end of June, part of July."

Ô¿ô

It was nearly midnight when the movie let out, and since it was a Friday night, Luke agreed to sleep at the apartment. The entire ride home Nate could talk of nothing but the upcoming get away trip.

"Yes, that's wonderful," Luke replied as Nathan blabbed on about what clothes he would bring. "But for God's sake can we talk about something else?"

"Sorry," The brunette smiled sheepishly, "But I'm excited about spending a week away with you."

When the pair arrived at their destination, Luke suggested a late night swim.

"The pool closes at ten," Nate said, referring to the public pool next to the apartment.

"Oh come on, since when have you played on the right side of the rules?" Lucas asked.

"Since I started spending time with _you_," he replied.

"Well I don't want you to lose your identity," The blonde smirked, pulling Nate towards to door.

"No, of course not."

Ô¿ô

"H-hurry up, I'm f-freezing," Luke stammered as he stood shivering and dripping wet in Nate's living room.

"I'm going, I'm going," the brunette replied, searching for a towel. When he found one, he returned to the living room. The blonde reached out to accept the towel but Nathan didn't pass it over.

"Come on, I'm freezing!" Nate smiled and lifted the towel over Lucas' head, rubbing it in his hair. "Oh," the older teen said. Once Nate felt the blonde hair was sufficiently dry, he rubbed the towel slowly Luke's torso. His arms and back were dried, then Nathan skipped to his legs, slowly drying his way up. Soon the older teen was completely dried off except for the pair of wet boxers he had swum in. Nathan put his fingers on the waistband, but didn't move. They hadn't done anything remotely sexual since the trip to Charlotte, and he wasn't sure if he was crossing some line. Lucas stared back at him and something in his eyes told Nate it was okay. He hooked his thumbs beneath the band and slowly pulled down.

* * *

A/N:: My spanish isn't perfect, so if you spotted an error, feel free to personal message me with corrections! 


	24. Proximity to a Dream

A/N:: As I reread the last chapter, I see how much I disliked it, not to mention that it was riddled with mistakes. Anyway, I think this chapter will make up for it. I REALLY liked how this one turned out, and it's a longer one [yay!. Thanks for sticking with me all this time readers and reviewers! I owe you so much, and I only hope that I can write away my debt to you! And for those wondering about the significance of Deb's pregnancy--That's a touchy issue. It was going to come into play in a sequel to this story, but now i'm not sure if there will be a sequel [don't worry, the chances are still good:). If there isn't, expect a lengthy epilogue that covers everything :). Again with this chapter, if you see an error in my spanish, PM me about it! I think that's all. Please review! If not, I see your hits, thanks for reading:-D

Also, I must admit, I poured a lot of myself into Luke in this chapter, everything he says about _language_ is comming from _my _heart!

* * *

Luke could hardly believe what he was hearing. It was as if the phone were lying to him, that the voice on the other side couldn't possibly be offering this. "¿Y ud. dice que necesito despedir en el viente cinco?" He listened intently to the answer. "¿Por seis semanas? Buen, tengo que pensar, voy a llamar usted más tarde, muchas gracias." Setting down the phone, Lucas was torn between ecstasy and terrible confusion. This was perfect, this was everything he wanted, but this was all at the wrong time. Sighing audibly, he lay back on his bed staring at the ceiling. _Oh, what to do? What to do?_

A ringing broke his train of thoughts, and he saw that Nate was calling his cell, probably with nonsense about their…_pending_ trip. Deciding not to answer it, he rolled over and decided to mull over his thoughts a while…

Ô¿ô

Luke woke abruptly when his bedroom door burst open and Nate rushed into the room looking around wildly. Sitting up groggily and rubbing his head, he asked, "Nate, what the hell's the emergency?"

"I've called you a million times and you didn't answer…I was worried." Lucas glanced at his clock to see that it was five o'clock in the evening; he must have dozed off. Picking up his phone he saw that he had twenty-three missed calls.

"Are you kidding me?" The blonde laughed, "You called me twenty-three times?" Nathan suddenly looked very self-conscious.

"Well…yeah…I was worried." The older teen chuckled and pulled his companion down to join him on the bed. With Nate lying on his back, Lucas curled up next to him, laid his head to rest on the brunette's chest, and wrapped his arm around the boy. He closed his eyes again, smiling contentedly. "So why didn't you answer?" Nathan asked, clearly ignoring the fact that Luke was trying to nap.

"Mmph," the blonde mumbled into his chest. "Sleeping stupid." Nate smiled and wrapped his arms around Luke.

"Lucas! I'm home!" The older teen flew off the bed and into a standing position faster than seemingly possible, and was just in time as Karen burst into the room, smiling at the two boys staring up at her. "Luke, did you get my message about those Spanish-y people that called?"

"Yeah," Luke replied, not meeting hers or Nate's eyes.

"Alright, I'm off to meet with a friend, I left some money on the table for a pizza," she smiled before turning to leave.

"What 'Spanish-y people' was your mom talking about," Nate asked once Karen was gone. "Mer-say-dees?"

"Mercédes," Luke corrected, "And no."

"Who was it then?"

"Don't worry about, I'll tell you later," Luke said, getting back on the bed and giving Nate a kiss.

"I get the feeling you're just trying to distract me…but since you're a really good kisser I'll let you get away with it, just this once," Nate whispered. Lucas just smiled before moving in again.

Ô¿ô

Luke stood at the sound of the bell and walked towards the door.

"Mr. Roe," he turned around as his AP Spanish teacher approached him. "I heard about the offer, how splendid! You were always so adept at the language! You are accepting?" It sounded more like a statement than a question. The blonde smiled and left without answering, leaving a slightly confused teacher behind. Would he accept? It plagued him, clouded every thought, followed him, and exhausted him. Such a wonderful opportunity, but such a conflicting devotion…_What to do, what to do?_

"Hey baby," somebody whispered in his ear. He turned around to see Nate beaming at him.

"Hi," Luke replied quietly.

"What's wrong?" The brunette asked, concern suddenly plastered all over his face.

"Nothin! I'm just…tired," the older teen lied.

"Alright, well I want you to come by the apartment tonight, I have a surprise." The excitement shown on his face. Luke smiled his response and turned to head to class.

Ô¿ô

Lucas climbed the steps to Nate's apartment slowly. Each movement of his feet brought another reason the evening could go badly. He knew he had to decide, and he had to tell Nate first. When he reached the top, he took a moment to compose himself before knocking gently on the door. It was opened almost immediately and Luke felt himself being pulled in. As soon as the door was shut, Nathan had the blonde in a crushing hug. Prying himself away, Luke asked, "What's going on?"

"Can't I be excited to see you?" The brunette asked. Lucas just smiled; it seemed to be his response to a lot this week. "So come here," Nathan pulled him over to the couch and sat him down. A poorly wrapped present was suddenly thrust into his hands and Lucas looked up.

"What's this?"

"Just open it," Nate demanded, unable to lose the smile on his face. Lucas complied and when he opened the gift he froze.

"Oh Nathan." It was a very handsome--and expensive jacket that Luke had been yearning for, yet unable to afford. "Nathan it's wonderful! How did you afford this?" Luke asked, leaning up to kiss Nate several times in rapid succession.

"I had to cut back on some stuff a bit, but I wanted to get it for you. It might be cold on our trip so I thought you could use this." Luke suddenly grew quiet, his mind racing.

"What's wrong?" Nate asked, that stupid/lovely concern covering his face once more.

"We need to talk, about the trip."

"What's up?"

"Well," Lucas began, staring at the floor. Everything that had bothered him over the past few days raced through his mind as he thought about how he would explain this. "My dream, my ultimate goal, is to be an author," he stated.

"And you will be really successful, I've read your writing," Nathan smiled.

"Yeah, well, without a great hit it doesn't really pay the bills. Ever since I was a kid I've loved languages. I just found it so fascinating, that everything we say, we think, we scream, cry, or yell, it's all language. And it's _man made._ _We_ created language, this ultimate tool. I loved listening to other languages, desperate to learn—to understand. I couldn't wait to start learning Spanish in school, and I was very adept at it.

"I wanted to pursue a career in Spanish. I could be, I don't know, a translator or something. Anything where I would get to obliterate the barriers that language built, where I could bring people from different cultures—different world essentially, together. So I enrolled in AP Spanish this year and excelled. Then a few days ago I got a call. There's this language foundation thing, and apparently I qualified for this trip. I would get to go on an all-expense paid excursion to _Spain!_ I would get to live, breath, and eat the culture, the language. I would even get to attend classes at la Universidad de Salamanca, one of the most prestigious schools in the country."

"That's great!" Nathan exclaimed, joy spreading across his face.

"Well," Lucas sighed, "I would leave for Spain on the twenty-fifth—of June. _Before_ the trip." There it was, it was all out there now.

Nate's smile faltered for only a moment before he said, "Well you accepted the offer right?" This surprised Lucas.

"Well no, not yet. Our trip…"

"Who cares about some stupid weekend getaway? This is the opportunity of a lifetime!" Nate exclaimed. He seemed genuinely shocked that Lucas would even _consider_ declining the offer. "Is _this_ what has been bugging you?" Lucas looked at the floor.

"Well, you were so excited about this trip! So eager! And so was I…I didn't want to ruin it for you…"

"Lucas, please, you _know_ that you—your happiness, it's all my first priority." Luke smiled, finally looking up. "I don't care about missing some short trip if you get to take a giant leap in your own dreams!" When Luke finally saw how serious Nathan was, he threw himself into the brunette's arms, squeezing him as hard as he could, burying his face in his arms. Nate smiled.

"I love you so much Nathan Scott, you have no idea." Nate's arms found their way around Luke and he held him tight, leaning back on the couch so that the two could lay in each other's arms for nearly an hour, before sleep took them.

* * *

A/N:: By the way, I had Luke's trip to Spain planned out MONTHS ago, waaaay before the show had that thing about Peyton's internship.


	25. End of the Pax

A/N: Firstly, I must apologize from the depths of my soul. It's been nearly a _year_ since this story has been updated. It was never my intention to leave you all for so long! Life has a way of interfering, you know? I have dealt with some issues, but now am hopefully back in commission!

This chapter has a few warnings: there is one small part that is much more...risque than previous chapters. And there is also a great deal of swearing.

After this chapter, I believe there are only two more. There will not, unfortunately, be a full sequel. There WILL be a lengthy one-shot that will deal with post-Veracity life, and that will tie up a bunch of loose ends!

For this chapter I will revert back to my old ways and beg for reviews, for two reasons. It's been so long since I've updated, I want to see how many of my loyal readers I have retained. I hope I didn't lose too many of you along the way! And secondly, this chapter takes the story in a very different direction, and I'm very apprehensive. Your feed back could very well determine what happens next, so I plead that you share your thoughts! (What you liked, didn't like, thoughts, corrections, anything is welcome!)

So, welcome back, read, review, enjoy!

* * *

"No, of course you can't," Haley exclaimed. She did nothing to hide her anger and frustration. Lucas frowned at her, not having expected this reaction. "God forbid you spend two minutes with your best friend." Lucas just stood shocked. Said best friend promptly stormed off the River Court, leaving a slightly stunned Luke staring after her.

Ever since Nathan assured Lucas that he really must accept the trip to Spain, the two had been spending more time together than ever. The prospect of being separated for six weeks was saddening, and they had been trying to compensate for their upcoming loss. Luke hadn't really realized that in doing so, he had almost pushed Haley out of his life. Before Nate, it had really been the two of them against the world. Lucas and Haley, Guardians of the Rooftop, best of friends, virtual siblings. Lucas' relationship with Nathan did not of course change that, but it could not be denied that Luke had spent noticeably less time with his "sister."

She had asked him if he would engage in a movie marathon that night. Ever since they were children, the two of them found endless enjoyment on a sleep-deprived spree of cinematic adventures. They had very little time left before Lucas left for Spain, and then the two ultimately went their separate ways for college. Luke had been planning on something similar with Nathan that night and turned down the offer, claiming to have some "things" to do. Realizing his mistake, he called to his friend.

"Haley, wait!" Lucas called. Haley spun around. In place of the angry face he expected to see, Luke found a rather tired one, one that seemed to be accepting something difficult. He couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt. "Screw it. What kind of best friend would I be if I couldn't make time for you, Hales?" Haley smiled rushed back over to where he was standing, gibbering on about the when, the where, and the what of their movie-night. Once Haley left, this time with a smile on her face, Lucas sat on the bleachers, contemplating.

He hated keeping secrets from Haley. She was supposed to be his number one confidant. But the whole thing with Nathan was such foreign ground that he hesitated. It wasn't anything personal in regards to Haley; he had not told _anybody_ (save Skills, with his knack for turning up at the wrong times). Hales was his best friend though. He had no doubts about her accepting the fact that he was possibly gay (possibly in that he still was not sure himself). Something had held him back. Faced with their first long-term separation since childhood though, Luke decided he had to act.

Luke let himself into Nate's apartment. The prospect of telling Nathan he couldn't make it that night was not going to be a happy one. The brunette had been rather excited, and insisted on having the sole duty of secretly selecting the movies. It had to be done though; Lucas just couldn't keep pushing Haley away.

Nathan, apparently, was not home from work. Wandering into the bedroom, Luke decided that he would make up his cancellation to the other man. He searched through the dresser drawers and found a somewhat skimpy pair of briefs that he kept there. It was a pair of very tight, very low rise, and very pink briefs that Nathan, for whatever reason, just couldn't get enough of. Changing into the underwear (and nothing else), he lounged himself out on the couch and awaited the return of his other half.



Luke had arrived just a few minutes early, it seemed, as it was not long before he heard the blasting radio of Nathan's car in the parking lot. However, he heard not one, but _two_ doors slam. Quickly rushing to the window, Lucas saw Nate ascending the stairs with Mouth. Mumbling "FUCK!" under his breath, he ran into the bedroom and shut the door. He searched frantically around Nathan's room for his clothing. The room, however, resembled the wreckage of a textile factory explosion. Clothes and garbage were everywhere, and his pants and shirt, which were only deposited a few minutes before, seem to have gotten lost in the sea of garments. A door opening and laughter signaled Nate and Mouth's entry. Forgetting his own clothing, Lucas grabbed a random pair of pants off the floor and tried to quickly pull them on. When the bedroom door suddenly opened and Nate appeared before him, Luke lost his balance, and with one foot in the pants, crashed audibly on the floor. Nathan stared at him in utter shock for a moment.

"What was that Nate, you ok in there?" Mouth called from the kitchen. He thankfully had not born witness to this mortally embarrassing and seemingly inexplicable scene (or, at least inexplicable to those who know nothing of their relationship--everybody).

"Nothing! Just knocked some shit over!" Nate called, quickly closing the door. "What the hell are you doing?" Nathan hissed. He couldn't even maintain a pretense of anger though, and had to stifle his laughter. Here was Lucas, blushing like a bride, fallen over on his bedroom floor with one leg in a pair of far-too-big pants, and totally exposed in a skanky hot pink pair of underwear.

"Just lose Mouth," Lucas hissed back. He punched Nate's arm pretty hard, once he had managed to stand up, silencing the chuckles.

"He's only here to pick up a game," Nathan whispered, trying to control his emotions. Once he managed to straighten his face out, he turned around and left the room. Lucas heard some chatter and then a door closing. Nate entered the bedroom once more, and made no attempt to stop the laughter. Luke, who had now managed to get into the pair of pants, marched out of the room, pretending to be deeply hurt and angry. He still had no shirt though, and while he stormed into the kitchen, Nate's pants fell right down to his ankles (Lucas had a considerably slimmer body, though no less toned). Nathan had to grip the wall to keep himself standing. Few incidents in his life could compare to this.

"Fine!" Lucas cried, exasperated. "I'll go put my own clothes on then and be gone. If this underwear is so hilarious, there won't be need to see me in it again." That silenced Nate pretty quickly. Still smiling, he approached Luke and wrapped his arms around the horribly embarrassed mostly-nude man before him.

Kissing Lucas on the head, Nate asked, "What exactly were you doing?"

"Well I came over to surprise you, but, well…"

Nate chuckled softly, and then kissed Lucas firmly, letting his hands slide down the other teen's back, gripping his butt tightly. "Believe me, there very much is need for me seeing you wearing that."



"That sentence didn't really make a whole lot of sense, grammatically," Lucas said. Before he could launch into a rant about how rearranging various words could greatly clear up the confusion, Nate silenced him with another kiss.

"To what do I owe this surprise?" Nate asked.

"Well, I'm really, really sorry but I can't come over tonight." A slightly disappointed look crossed Nathan's face.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, nothing, it's just that Haley wanted to do something tonight. She's my best friend and I've hardly seen her at all over the last few weeks." Nate couldn't stay upset at Luke, especially when that puppy-dog and guilty look played across his face. Besides, he couldn't deny that he had been monopolizing Lucas' time an awful lot lately.

"So how does that explain a nearly-naked you in my bedroom just now?"

"I said I wanted to surprise you, to, you know, make up for tonight."

Nate laughed. "You don't have to make it up to me."

"I know, but I felt bad."

"Don't," Nate smiled. "But, you're already dressed for the occasion, so we better not waste the moment, right?" He swept Lucas off his feet and carried him into the bedroom. The blond was dumped unceremoniously on the bed, and the pants around his ankles were savagely pulled away. Starting at those ankles, Nate began kissing his way up Lucas' body. His lips traced the inner thigh, and he paused to place _several_ kisses on the now extremely obvious bulge on the front of the pink briefs. He continued his way up Luke's body, leaving kisses as he went. When he reached Lucas' lips, his body was now laying fully on top of the blonde's. The feel of the prominent bulge below pressed up against his own drove Nathan wild, and he kissed Luke fiercely. "Maybe it's a good thing," he said in a hoarse voice, finally pulling away from the kiss.

"Yes. Good. Very good," Lucas mumbled, trying to pull Nate down for more.

"No," said Nathan, resisting. "I mean tonight. Us not hanging out." Lucas gave him a confused look. "Well," he began, "we've been spending a ton of time together lately. And it's been great, really great." Luke wondered why he had to have this conversation right now, and not after what promised to be steamy sex. "I want to spend all my time with you, but it's kind of suspicious sometimes, you know? Haley's very smart; she could pick up on it."

Luke wrapped his arms around the man still laying on him. "I was going to talk to you about that."

"What?" Nate asked, concern suddenly plastered across his face. "Does she suspect something?"



"No, no," Luke assured him. "But, I was thinking…maybe I would _tell_ her." Nathan froze, not a muscle moving. Lucas tried to read the emotions on his face. Mostly he found shock and pained confusion. It unsettled Luke a bit.

"Why? Why?" Nate asked, his eyes widening a little bit. Luke was rather taken back by his reaction. He didn't expect Nathan to jump with joy and scream "Hell yeah!" He did expect, however, at least some receptivity to the idea.

"She's my best friend Nathan. She deserves to know."

"Why does she 'deserve' to know?" Nate asked, moving off Lucas to sit up on the bed.

"Why are you getting so tweaked about this? What if I just want to tell her?" Luke was starting to get irritated.

"Why does anybody have to know? They'd just fuck everything up! And telling her means deciding for _me_. So I get no say in who knows about my private affairs anymore?" Nate's anger was readily apparent.

"Of course not! Why are you overreacting? If you don't want her to know about you, I could just say I'm in a relationship with a guy. She needn't necessarily know who!"

"No! No fucking way! She would totally figure it out! You absolutely _cannot_ tell her!" Nate was nearly shouting.

" 'Absolutely cannot tell her'? Are you kidding me? What I tell my own best friend about myself is my own god dammed business! You can't tell me not to tell her!" Lucas had no idea how the situation could have deteriorated so fast. In a matter of minutes they went from passionate kissing to all-out yelling. He was trying to keep the situation calm, but Nathan was totally overreacting and treating him like some insubordinate.

"Luke, if you tell her, I'll…"

"You'll what? Break up with me?" There was a hint of dare in his voice. Nate's expression changed immediately.

"No, no. I'll…"

"What, Nathan, what?"

"Why does she have to know, why does anyone have to know? We're happy how we are!"

"Speak for yourself, Nate!" Lucas cried. Nathan looked deeply hurt.

"You're not happy?" he asked in a quiet voice.

"I'm happy with you…but I'm not happy lying to and deceiving my best friend! For seventeen years there were no secrets between us! How can I hold this from her?"



"Because this is different, Luke!" Nathan was standing now, desperate. "This is totally different than anything before! Why do people have to know?"

"When did _you_ plan on telling people?" Lucas asked, now standing as well. The bed between them looked like the sole entity keeping them from preparing to toss a punch or two. Not that they ever would. Well, at least not before this conversation.

"Why do people have to know at all?" Nate asked. Luke was extremely taken back at that statement.

"You mean to say that you thought we would be a secret _forever_?" Lucas asked incredulously.

"Maybe! People only complicate things!" Nathan was trying to summon a counter argument but little was coming to mind.

"So you're saying that you could only care about me behind closed doors? That this whole thing is just a fun little dirty secret?" Lucas was absolutely irate by this point.

"Don't! You know that I love you. Don't try and pull that shit on me."

"Oh, you love me, but as long as nobody else knows? Haley wouldn't care at all for Christ's sake!"

"It doesn't matter! One person knows, then many people know, then everyone starts talking."

"What the fuck are you talking about Nathan?" Lucas was trembling. "Haley wouldn't tell a fucking soul! And we're about to fucking graduate! Who gives a shit what these people think?"

"I don't want people rattling off their bull shit about me, er, us! I don't want to deal with that!" Nathan shouted.

"Oh, so that's what this all fucking comes down to, huh?" Lucas spat. "You still give a fuck about what everybody else thinks of the big time jock, huh? You haven't changed a bit, have you?" Luke's words hit Nathan hard.

"Fuck you!" Nate cried vehemently.

"Only so long as nobody knows, right Nate? Right? God imagine what would happen if Tim and the gang found out that you associated yourself with a faggot, let alone if you _were_ one!" They both knew that there was no going back from this point. Things were not ok. They couldn't be ok.

"Fuck off!" Nathan shouted, picking Luke's clothing up off the floor.

"Don't worry Nate," Lucas hissed, catching the pants and shirt that were flung at him, "you don't have to see me around here anymore."

Nate froze. "Are you saying that we're…we're…" His voice had become quiet and fearful, and he couldn't finish the sentence. Luke's, however, retained its stony demeanor.



"I'm not going to fuck around with my life. If you don't fucking care enough about me enough to actually _tell_ anybody, then I'm not going to waste my time. It was nice while it lasted." With that, he got dressed and stormed out of the apartment, leaving Nate behind, staring silently after him.


End file.
